India vs New Zealand 2nd Test Day 2 Highlights: NZ in control with mammoth 301 runs lead

New Zealand’s day on every count! Mitchell Santner broke the back of India’s batting and gave the Kiwis a comprehensive 103-run lead. Tom Latham then played a captain’s knock to ensure New Zealand tightened its noose around India. New Zealand is on the cusp of a historic series win in India. Can India mark a miraculous turnaround with New Zealand leading by 301 runs!

I’ll hop over to the media conference enclosures while you wait for all the latest updates on thehindu.com

-Amol Karhadkar

Skipper Tom Latham’s innings of 86 runs guide New Zealand to a 300-run lead over India in the second innings. 

Brief score: 197/5 (50 overs)

Tom Blundell’s back-to-back attempt to get runs from reverse sweep has been an issue for the spinner and Rohit. New Zealand have scored 60 runs by sweeps or reverse sweeps in this innings. 

Brief score: 195/5 (49 overs)

Kiwi skipper Tom Latham plays a captain’s knock of 86 runs. Washington Sundar manages to bag the breakthrough. Glenn Phillips joins Tom Blundell in middle. 

Brief Score: 183/5 (45 overs) 

NZ skipper Latham and Blundell’s partnership continues to hurt men in blue as they fight to make a comeback in the session. 

Brief score: 174/4 (40 overs)

Tom Latham and Tom Blundell continue to play a crucial knock as India eye a crucial breakthrough in the session. 

Brief Score: 159/4 (36.5 overs)

Kiwis are in a comfortable spot as they take a lead of 257 runs in the second innings. 

Jasprit Bumrah replaces Sundar from one end as Tom Latham and Tom Blundell stitch a crucial partnership. 

Former New Zealand cricketer and broadcaster Simon Doull lambasted Indian batters for their poor batting performance against spinners Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips during the second Test against New Zealand at Pune, saying that it is a misconception that modern Indian players are good against tweakers, rather they are as vulnerable as overseas batters on good turning tracks. 

How to mark a Test comeback? Ask Washington Sundar! Daryl Mitchell being undone in flight results in Washington picking his 10th wicket of the match, a remarkable achievement for any bowler, let alone someone who is playing a Test match after 43 months! 

But New Zealand have continued to bat positively and have been scoring at well over fours an over. As a result, they have all but ensured that India will have to score the highest total of the match in the fourth innings in order to pull off a miraculous win and keep the series alive!

-Amol Karhadkar

Daryl Mitchell falls prey to the slower delivery of Washington Sundar as he gets caught at long-on by Yashasvi Jaiswal. 

Tom Blundell walks in the middle. 

Brief score: 124/4 (30 overs)

Kiwis in driver’s seat as skipper Tom Latham reaches 50 runs. New Zealand now with 220 runs lead over India. 

Brief Score: 115/3 (27.3 overs)

Despite three wickets, Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell take New Zealand past the 200-run lead mark which will be a tough challenge for the Indian batsmen in the fourth innings.

Continuing his good form in this second Test, Washington Sundar removed Rachin Ravindra for 9 and New Zealand still leads by 192 runs.

Water supply issues seem to have been sorted out today. “We have tripled the quantity of water kiosks and have ensured the supply has been relentless,” said Kamlesh Pisal, Maharashtra Cricket Association secretary. -- Amol Karhadkar

After facing difficulties in finding drinking water during the opening day of the second Test between India and New Zealand here, the host State association has made the necessary arrangements on Friday and the fans are no longer complaining.

Around 1 lakh litres of RO water in 20-litre cans have been arranged for the second day’s play on Friday, well distributed among the booths to avoid the lapse on the first day, an official informed PTI.

As many as 3,800 bottles for 20 litre each have been made available for use on the second day as it remains hot and humid on Friday (October 25, 2024), while another 500 are kept in the stadium’s vicinity for back-up.

Another batch of 700 are also kept elsewhere, in case of requirement at later stages, the official said. 

Angry fans had raised slogans against the hosts Maharashtra Cricket Association here on Thursday after finding no water at the booths. -- PTI

Brief Score: Tom Latham 37 (60) ; Rachin Ravindra 7 (8)

Spinster Ravichandran Ashwin gets the much-needed breakthrough as he traps Will Young ahead of the stumps for lbw. 

Rachin Ravindra walks in to bat. 

Brief Score: 78/2 (18.3 overs) 

Skipper Rohit Sharma gets his ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah in action who manages to give 2 runs in his first over of the innings. 

Brief Score: 78/1 (18 overs)

Brief Score: 76/1 (17 overs) Tom Latham: 35 (53) ; Will Young 23 (25) 

Ravindra Jadeja continues to bowl from the other end as Tom Latham and Young manage to rotate the strike 

Brief Score: 71/1 (16.3 overs)

Tom Latham and Will Young continue to stitch a partnership as Kiwis register a lead of 161 runs. 

Brief Score: 58/1 (14.1 overs) 

Batting has been increasingly difficult on this pitch. So is umpiring. Richard Illingworth does not catch an inside-edge off Conway’s blade and upholds the lbw appeal in Washington Sundar’s favour. But Conway and captain Latham have ensured a quickfire start has given New Zealand an early impetus in its second essay. And Shubman Gill is unable to pouch a difficult chance at leg-slip to dismiss Will Young in Washington’s next over! 49/1, lead of 152

-Amol Karhadkar

Washington Sundar and Ravichandran Ashwin aim to get early breakthrough as skipper Tom Latham and Devon Conway take the crease. 

Brief Score: 25/0 (6 overs) 

If Washington can, so can Santner. The Kiwi left-arm spinner makes the most of an opportunity in spin-friendly conditions to rip through India’s batting order. The bespectacled Santners finishes with his career-best figures of 7/53 as India bundled out for 156. 

The lead of 103 could well be unassailable on this track. Can India claw its way back into the game and avoid its first series loss at home in 12 years?

- Amol Karhadkar

Washington Sundar stamps his authority with bat as he hit a boundary followed by a six against Patel. 

India trail by 103 runs

Brief Score: 156/9 (46 overs)

After a massive six from Akashdeep, Santner cleans him up with a slower past his bat to the stumps. Bumrah walks in. 

Ravindra Jadeja falls prey to a full ball by Mitchell Santner as he reaches the five-wicket haul figures. 

Akashdeep walks in to join Washington Sundar. 

Jadeja continues to take chances against Ajaz Patel. 

Brief Score: 136/7 (43 overs)

Sundar- Jadeja get on the job as they try to stitch a much-needed partnership for the side. India trails by 131 runs 

Brief Score: 128/7 (42 overs)

Ravindra Jadeja charges down the ground and hits straight for a boundary against Ajaz Patel. The boundary comes after being saved by a review for lbw. 

Brief Score: 126/7 (41 overs)

Ravindra Jadeja charges down the ground to Santner and manages to hit towards wide mid-on for a boundary. 

Brief Score: 117/7 (40 overs)

Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar take the middle as spin attack continues with Ajaz Patel. 

27 overs, 96 runs and six wickets! It’s been New Zealand’s session yet again! Having gotten India back into the game with the ball in the last session on Day One, the onus is on Washington Sundar to repeat the heroics with the bat as well. Can he and Ravindra Jadeja keep India in the game? At 107 for 7, it’s an ominous task! See you in 40 minutes. 

-Amol Karhadkar

India is in disarray as Santner gets Ravichandran Ashwin as the bowl remains low. 

Brief score: 103/7 (36 overs)

Santner continues to ask tough questions to the Indian all-rounders in the middle. 

A troubling affair for India as Ashwin walks in to join Jadeja after Sarfaraz falls prey to Santner. 

Brief Score: 95/6 (34.3 overs)

I didn’t jinx it! Santner tosses it up and Sarfaraz fails to connect a lofted drive that sails straight to at deep mid-off. New Zealand spinners on top as India in big trouble! 95/6

-Amol Karhadkar

He has been dropped once so far. He has looked shaky at the start of his innings but Sarfaraz Khan finally manages to plonk his front-foot into the ground and connect a sweep over midwicket off Glenn Phillips! Seldom does Sarfaraz give it away after getting his sweep shot going. Can he bail the team out of trouble this time around? 93/5. 

-Amol Karhadkar

India continues to be on the back foot as Kiwi spinners run through the top batting order of the side. Sarfaraz backs on his strength as he sweeps Phillips for a boundary. 

Brief Score: 93/5 (33 overs)

Jadeja joins Sarfaraz Khan in the middle. 

Kiwi spinner cleaned up Rishabh Pant as he misses the delivery and gets bowled. 

Pant and Sarfaraz continue to keep the scoreboard running. 

Santner continues on the other end

A much-needed boundary for the wicket-keeper batsman who charges on Phillips towards mid-on. 

Brief Score: 81/4 (29 overs)

Kiwis keep the pressure on as Santner bowls to Sarfaraz who defends the bowl. However, the bowl edges and goes to Mitchell who looks frustrated after dropping the catch. 

In-form batsman Sarfaraz Khan walks in to face the fiery spin attack. 

Brief Score: 72/4 (27 overs)

Glenn Phillips bowls a quicker as the bowl edges Jaiswal’s bat and goes to Mitchell in slip. 

Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal take on the spin attack. 

Pant will be looking to stitch a crucial partnership as the game reaches the drinks break. 

Score: 68/3 (26 overs)

He comes and he goes! Kohli lasts just eight balls - contrary to his marathon 254* in the last Pune Test five years ago. He himself cannot believe for havingmissed a fulltoss that crashes into the middle stump. Santner also finds it hard to believe. Meanwhile, in the press box, Peter Calder - the veteran who is the lone journalist from New Zealand - thumps his desk and chants” Here we go, mayte!” 

The stands are stunned though!

-Amol Karhadkar

42 minutes and 62 balls into the day’s play, India loses the first wicket of the day. Shubman Gill is plumb in front of the wickets off Mitchell Santner. That paves way for the loudest cheer of the match, much louder than the one after Gull’s lofted six off Southee a few minutes earlier. Understandably so, since Virat Kohli walks out to bat! 50/2

-Amol Karhadkar

Friday morning isn’t as humid as Thursday but it’s hotter than Day One. India batters will be hoping to turn the heat on New Zealand. Jaiswal and Gill have started with little trouble against New Zealand’s pace-and-spin combination of Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner

- Amol Karhadkar