New Zealand has secured a historic series victory against India, winning the second Test in Pune by a convincing 113 runs. India, chasing a challenging target of 359 runs, faltered once again, succumbing to the spin wizardry of Mitchell Santner. Santner, who had already wreaked havoc in the first innings, continued his impressive form, claiming the crucial wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal (77), Shubman Gill (23), and Virat Kohli (17) to dismantle India's hopes.
Despite a valiant effort from Ravindra Jadeja (42) and a brief resistance from R Ashwin (18), the Indian batting lineup couldn't withstand the pressure, eventually folding for 245 runs. Santner finished with a remarkable 13 wickets in the match, while Ajaz Patel also chipped in with two crucial wickets to seal the victory for New Zealand.
This defeat marks a disappointing end to India's home Test series dominance, which had stretched for 12 years. New Zealand's clinical performance, particularly Santner's exceptional bowling, exposed India's vulnerabilities against spin and highlighted the need for improvement in their batting approach.
