India are on the verge of being beaten in a Test series at home. While the last time it happened was way back in 2012, New Zealand are on the verge of doing the unthinkable at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on Saturday (October 26).
While India were given a stern target of 359 runs in the fourth innings and it was always going to be difficult, the hosts were off to a positive start in the second innings with both the teams fancying their chances of a win.
While Mitchell Santner continued his brilliance from the first innings where he scalped a seven-wicket haul to complete a fifter before Tea on Day 3 and reduce the oppsoition to 178/7 at the conclusion of the second session on the third day. However, India had themselves to blame for the wicket of Rishabh Pant which in many ways turned out to be the momentum shifter.
Mitchell Santner Involved In The Dismissal Of Rishabh Pant
It all happned the Ajaz Patel over. Virat Kohli, on strike, tapped the ball behind the square but Rishabh Pant at the non-striking end called for a run and given that it was going to be his danger end, Kohli responded. However, it was Santner with the fielding effort this time around. With Santner being a southpaw, the ball had gone towards his dominant hand and it didn’t take him long to throw the ball back to the keeper who dislodged the bails in no time to catch Pant short of his ground, ending his innings for a duck in a situation where the hosts were banking on him to bail India out of trouble.
Kohli eventually departed for 17 off 40, falling to an “umpire’s call” off Santner. The video of the run-out has gone viral with a section of the netizens even blaming Kohli for Pant’s run-out for a duck.
