IND vs NZ 2nd Test: Santner takes centre stage in Pune

NZ’s Mitchell Santner celebrates the wicket of India’s Shubman Gill in Pune yesterday. Pic/PTI

The honour of being the most capped Test cricketer from New Zealand is currently shared by Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori. It's a remarkable fact from a country where it's often difficult to tell the difference between the pitch and the outfield on Day One of a Test match.

Vettori inspired a generation of youngsters to become spin bowling all-rounders, a generation that included a certain Mitchell Josef Santner, a product of the Northern Districts Cricket Association in New Zealand.

Vettori's retirement coincided with the peak of Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner. New Zealand found a new formula to win Tests at home - one that included green surfaces and four fast bowlers; on in which spinners were a liability. Suddenly, if you chose to be a spinner in New Zealand, you had to have a secondary source of income as well. Just look at Ajaz Patel. The man who picked all 10 wickets in an innings, is yet to pick one on home soil.

Hard work pays off

You don't represent your country in international cricket 237 times in all three formats, over a period of almost 10 years if you are not a good cricketer. But the difference between Santner's red-ball and white-ball numbers is chalk and cheese. His pinpoint accuracy and miserly economy rate make Santner one of the first picks in any white-ball team, but it's taken him 48 innings to register his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Away from cricket, Santner is a keen golfer. His love for golf is quite evident when you see his bat swing. Known for his dry sense of humour, he is the definition of laid back. His facial expressions rarely change in success or failure. This can often be misunderstood for not caring enough.

Also Read: India crumble under Santner's spell

Last month, in spin-friendly conditions in Galle, Sri Lanka, Santner bowled 66 overs across three innings and picked up a solitary wicket. His selection for the India tour was more because of the lack of options in domestic cricket. Santner's teammates though have always stood by him. They respect his deep understanding of the game and his leadership qualities within the group.

Santner stakes his claim

To succeed in Test cricket, you need to convince yourself that you belong there. If Santner's efforts in Pune help New Zealand create history, it could just be the first brick that he places in resurrecting his red-ball cricket career.