PUNE, India — On the second day of the second Test match held on Friday, New Zealand’s left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner orchestrated a remarkable collapse of the Indian batting lineup during the morning session.

Santner’s impressive performance garnered him figures of 4 wickets for 36 runs in 10 overs, leaving India struggling at 107 for 7 in their first innings by the time lunch was called. This poor showing came in response to New Zealand’s total of 259 runs.

Adding to India’s woes, off-spinner Glenn Phillips chipped in with 2 wickets for 26 runs, as the home team lost six wickets for just 91 runs before reaching the lunch break. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar were the not-out batsmen at the interval, with Jadeja scoring 11 runs and Sundar adding 2, putting India in a precarious position.

Resuming their innings from an overnight score of 16 for 1, India initially made a solid start. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill played aggressively, adding 49 runs for the second wicket and exhibiting a positive approach. However, as Santner began his spell, the momentum shifted in favor of the New Zealand bowlers, supported by Ajaz Patel from the other end, putting the Indian batsmen under significant pressure.

Santner struck the first blow by dismissing Gill leg before wicket in the 22nd over; Gill made 30 runs off 72 deliveries, including two boundaries and a six. Virat Kohli’s arrival at the crease was met with cautious play against the spin bowling, but he fell victim to Santner’s delivery, getting bowled out for just 1 run from 9 balls when he misjudged a full toss.

Sarfaraz Khan, who had previously scored 150 runs in Bengaluru’s second innings, seemed to hold promise but soon fell into the trap of being overly aggressive. He attempted to lift Santner over mid-off but was caught out after scoring 11 runs. Just before the lunch break, Santner also accounted for Ravichandran Ashwin, trapping him lbw for 4 runs, as the low bounce on the pitch proved challenging for the batsmen.

The surface showed variable bounce and add significant turn as the second day unfolded, indicating that New Zealand’s current lead of 152 runs places them in a commanding position.

India is currently trailing in the three-match series, with New Zealand leading 1-0 after securing an eight-wicket victory in the opening Test — marking New Zealand’s first Test win in India since 1988.