FILE: Mitchell Santner registered a spell of 4/11 against India in the 2016 T20 World Cup in Nagpur. (PHOTO: Reuters)
When Daniel Vettori – bespectacled, unassuming and endlessly reliable – walked away from international cricket in March 2015, New Zealand were left with a familiar question: who would quietly do the hard yards with the ball?
Mitchell Santner made his T20 debut in June 2015, and post Vettori’s retirement, had the task of becoming New Zealand’s next reliable left-arm spinner. His first big test came in Nagpur, when the Kiwis faced off against India in the opening Super 10 clash of the 2016 T20 World Cup.
The venue had come under the scanner earlier when India beat South Africa in a Test on a raging turner, where Murali Vijay had emerged as the top-scorer across both teams with a mere 40 runs.
As expected, then, all eyes were on the surface used for this T20 World Cup game. As things unravelled, it was the hosts, this time, who found themselves at the receiving end.
REVIST | India vs New Zealand: India make their own debacle in Nagpur
On that evening in Nagpur, the New Zealand spin trio of Santner, Nathan McCullum and Ish Sodhi showed what they could do on a minefield, claiming combined figures of 9/44 to dismantle India for 79 runs and win by a handsome margin of 47 runs.
At the heart of the win was Santner’s sensational spell of 4/11 in four overs. Less than a year ago, the Indians had been spun out by Rangana Herath in Galle, exposing the first signs of a flaw in their batting technique.
Santner’s spell only magnified the doubts in their minds. He removed Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni in a devastating spell, which left the Indians searching for answers in their own den.
“There was a bit of spin out there, they bowled well to keep us to 120, that was below par, but we got stuck in, and I’m delighted with the win. (Ravindra) Jadeja was really spinning it, starting was hard ..trying to get to 130 140 but in the end 126 proved to be enough,” Santner said, after winning the Player of the match award.
PHOTOS: After colourful start, it’s all black in Nagpur
As much as Santner’s effort, the victory was also built on gutsy selection calls, as Kane Williamson – debuting as New Zealand’s captain in a big tournament – decided to go in with three spinners and bench both Trent Boult and Tim Southee.
Later, Dhoni praised the Kiwis for the way they bowled, but admitted that India should have batted better.
“They (New Zealand) bowled well, exploited the conditions, but we lacked adaptability; we could have applied ourselves a little more. The batting let us down,” he said.
Nearly a decade on, that night in Nagpur feels less like an upset and more like a beginning. In exposing India on a surface that rewarded patience and control, Santner showed the same understated qualities New Zealand once found in Vettori. Now back in the subcontinent as captain and lead spinner, Santner returns not to fill a void, but to define an era.
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
