"We need Cheteshwar Pujara back" - Fans react as India get bundled out for 156 in IND vs NZ 2024 2nd Test
Mitchell Santner proved to be the wrecker-in-chief for New Zealand as they bundled India out for 156 in the second test Test on Friday (October 25) in Pune. The left-arm spinner scalped seven wickets to stun the Indian batting line-up.
Starting Day 2 on 16/1, the hosts made a fine start with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal taking the score to 50. However, Santner trapped Gill (30) LBW to open the floodgates for the visitors.
Soon, Virat Kohli (1), Jaiswal (30), Rishabh Pant (18) and Sarfaraz Khan (11) perished, putting India under serious pressure. Lower-order contributions from Ravindra Jadeja (38) and Washington Sundar (18*) pushed India's first-innings total to 156, giving New Zealand a 103-run lead.
Several fans on X criticized Rohit Sharma and Co. for their sub-par performances in the series so far. Some called for the selectors to recall Cheteshwar Pujara, while a few also pointed out India's recent ODI series loss in Sri Lanka on rank-turners.
"We need Cheteshwar Pujara back. These white ball specialists will be worth nothing in Aussie conditions. Rohit Sharma can’t even bat to save his life on seaming wickets. All seniors should be made to play domestic cricket before catching the flight to Oz," a fan said.
"2 collapses in 2 games, one against pace, one against spin. There can not be any excuses to defend this. Clueless batting, confused between defending and attacking clubbed with ultra defensive captainship in 1st session on day 1," another fan posted.
"7 years ago, here in Pune, on a similar kind of surface, Steve O'Keefe ran through the Indian batting order getting a 6-wicket haul. Reason: We played spin poorly. 7 years later, nothing has changed. Well bowled Kiwis," a fan tweeted.
"Indian batters had no answer for Santner’s brilliance, completely outplayed and bowled out on home soil. A tough, embarrassing moment in front of the home crowd," another posted.
Can New Zealand win their first-ever Test series in India?
At the time of writing, New Zealand have made a steady start in their second innings. They have accumulated over 40 runs and lost just the solitary wicket of Devon Conway (17). The visitors look on course to gain a sizeable second-innings lead.
Interestingly, the Black Caps are on the cusp of registering their maiden Test series victory in India. The first game of the series in Bengaluru saw India bowled out for 46 in the first innings, which is their lowest score in a home Test. The Kiwis won that match by eight wickets, their first on Indian soil in 36 years.
New Zealand have managed to win only three of their 36 Test matches played in India.