NEW DELHI: New Zealand extended their lead over India to more than 200 runs on Day 2 of the second Test at the MCA Stadium in Pune, with captain Tom Latham playing a crucial half-century in their second innings.
This puts India in a challenging position as they have successfully chased a 200-plus target only once, home or away, since 2012. That last victory at home while chasing 200-plus target came against the same opponent, New Zealand, when India chased down 261 in Bengaluru in 2012. Since then, their only successful pursuit of a similar target was in 2021 against Australia at the Gabba.
Scorecard: India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test
India's batting performance in the first innings raised serious concerns in Pune. After bowling out New Zealand for 259, led by Washington Sundar's impressive 7 for 59, India's batsmen faltered. Mitchell Santner's career-best figures of 7 for 53 dismantled the Indian lineup, with the team folding for just 156 and conceding a 103-run first-innings lead.
This marked the second consecutive time in the series that India conceded a lead of over 100 runs at home, a feat that hadn't occurred since 2001 against Australia. Back then, India managed to turn things around to win the series, and the team will be hoping for a similar result this time.
However, with New Zealand now holding a substantial lead and India's batsmen struggling against spin, the task ahead seems daunting.
To win this Test and level the series, India will need a remarkable fourth-innings performance, something they have rarely achieved in the last decade.
