IND -NZ: Footwork, shot selection errors define India's Day 2 in Pune Test

Lack of application and elementary errors put India in a precarious position on a low, turning pitch

A sweep shot off a full-toss delivery? Not ideal. Yet, that's what Virat Kohli attempted in the 24th over of the Indian innings, resulting in his dismissal—clean bowled.

 

Kohli’s misjudgement was emblematic of broader struggles, as Indian batters faltered against New Zealand's spin attack. On a pitch offering low bounce and sharp turn, the Indian line-up displayed a lack of application and sound judgement, leading to a mounting deficit and a challenging task ahead.  In a nutshell, India’s batters provided a textbook example of how not to play on a turning track.

 

How Kohli lost his wicket?

 

The most shocking dismissal came in the 24th over. Batting icon Virat Kohli misread a full-toss delivery from Mitchell Santner (4/36), only to be bowled out after a painstaking nine-ball innings that yielded just a single run. Kohli, attempting a sweep, misjudged the ball, which angled in and crashed into his middle and leg stumps. The image of Kohli looking down in despair will resonate long after the match. His quiet walk back to the pavilion, with the MCA Stadium, enveloped in silence, was made somewhat easier as replays of the moment were withheld until he crossed the boundary ropes.  Check India vs New Zealand 2nd Test Day 2 LIVE SCORE and MATCH UPDATES HERE

 

Yashasvi Jaiswal's Dismissal

 

Yashasvi Jaiswal looked promising, reaching 30 with four boundaries. However, a defensive prod with hard hands on an off-spinning delivery led to an edge, with Glenn Phillips taking a comfortable catch at first slip for his first wicket.

 

Rishabh Pant Misjudges Bounce

 

Rishabh Pant (18), misjudging the lack of bounce, went for an ambitious heave across the line off part-timer Phillips, only to see the ball hit his off-stump, leaving India in dire straits at 83 for five.

 

Sarfaraz Khan’s Reckless Shot

 

Sarfaraz Khan, having impressed recently with scores like 222 not out in the Irani Cup and 150 in Bengaluru, threw away his wicket with a careless shot. Attempting an aggressive drive, he sent a simple catch to mid-off, giving Santner yet another breakthrough.

 

Santner Initiates Collapse

 

Santner’s spell proved to be the undoing for the Indian side. He started the day by trapping Shubman Gill (30) leg-before, setting the stage for a series of dismissals. Later, he sent R Ashwin (4) back to the pavilion with a low-bouncing delivery that struck Ashwin on the pad, reinforcing New Zealand’s grip on the game.   Santner returned with bowling figures of 6-53 as India eventually bundled out for 156 runs, conceding 103 runs first innings lead.   

India 1st Inning
156-10 (45.3 ov) CRR:3.43
Batter	Dismissal	R	B	4s	6s	SR
Yashasvi Jaiswal	c D Mitchell b G Phillips	30	60	4	0	50
Rohit Sharma (C)	b T Southee	0	9	0	0	0
Shubman Gill	lbw b M Santner	30	72	2	1	41.67
Virat Kohli	b M Santner	1	9	0	0	11.11
Rishabh Pant (WK)	b G Phillips	18	19	2	0	94.74
Sarfaraz Khan	c WO Rourke b M Santner	11	24	1	0	45.83
Ravindra Jadeja	lbw b M Santner	38	46	3	2	82.61
Ravichandran Ashwin	lbw b M Santner	4	5	0	0	80
Washington Sundar	lbw b M Santner	18	22	2	1	81.82
Akash Deep	b M Santner	6	5	0	1	120
Jasprit Bumrah	Not out	0	2	0	0	0
Extras	0 (b 0, Ib 0, w 0, nb 0, p 0)

Total

156 (10 wkts, 45.3 Ov)

Bowler O M R W NB ECO Tim Southee 6 1 18 1 0 3 William O'Rourke 3 2 5 0 0 1.67 Ajaz Patel 11 1 54 0 0 4.91 Mitchell Santner 19.3 1 53 7 0 2.72 Glenn Phillips 6 0 26 2 0 4.33   (With PTI inputs)