Surprised by Virat Kohli’s dismissal off a full toss: Mitchell Santner reflects on the shocking moment

New Delhi: Mitchell Santner, the talented allrounder from New Zealand, was left astonished after dismissing Virat Kohli with a full toss. The surprising moment not only caught Santner off guard but also left everyone in the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune in shock, including Kohli himself. This unexpected shot choice by Kohli raised questions about his decision-making skills during a crucial moment in the game.

Santner’s impressive seven-wicket haul secured New Zealand a valuable 103-run lead in the first innings on a sluggish, low-bounce pitch. By the end of the day, the Kiwis had extended their advantage to 301 runs.

Santner’s outstanding spell of 7/53 featured the prized wicket of Kohli, as India crumbled to 156 all out in their first innings. Kohli managed only a single run and appeared visibly frustrated with himself following the dismissal.

“I was in more of a shock getting Kohli out off the full toss. He doesn’t usually miss those. It was slightly slower through the air. I just tried to change it up a little bit, but usually, if you bowl those, they go for six. There was a little bit there which was nice,” Santner said at the press conference after the end of the day’s play.

Mitchell Santner breaks down his dismissal of Virat Kohli in Pune

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The Kiwi allrounder emphasized that, despite holding a substantial 301-run lead, New Zealand’s batters still have work to do with three days remaining in the Test match.

“I think India will probably come out more aggressive and try to put us on the back foot. There’s still a job to do with the bat. The more runs we get now, it makes our job with the ball a little easier,” Santner said.

The Kiwi allrounder noted that varying the pace, as India’s off-spinner Washington Sundar did on Day One with his 7/59, was crucial to success. Together, Sundar and Santner have taken 18 of the 25 wickets so far, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Glenn Phillips claiming six of the remaining seven. Tim Southee stands as the only pacer to take a wicket in this match, dismissing India’s captain Rohit Sharma for a nine-ball duck.