Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull has expressed his belief that the notion of Indian batters being superior in playing spin is a misconception, especially after their disappointing performance in the second Test against New Zealand in Pune.
During the first innings, India was dismissed for a mere 156 runs, with Mitchell Santner achieving career-best figures of 7-53. Notable Indian players such as Virat Kohli, captain Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin fell victim to spin bowling.
Santner capitalized on the favorable conditions as he successfully dismissed Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. The skilled spinner then went on to secure the crucial wickets of Sarfaraz Khan, who had previously scored a remarkable 150 in the last Test, and Ravichandran Ashwin just before the lunch break.
Following the break, Santner achieved a significant milestone in his career by completing his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket with the dismissal of Ravindra Jadeja. He continued his impressive performance by taking the wickets of Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah, ultimately finishing with exceptional bowling figures of 7/53. As a result of Santner's outstanding efforts, India was bowled out for a mere 156 runs in the first innings.
The consecutive batting collapses in the series have raised concerns about India's ability to handle spinners effectively. In the opening Test in Bengaluru, India was bowled out for just 46 runs, leading to an eight-wicket defeat.
Doull emphasized that the era of Indian batters like Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, and Rahul Dravid dominating spinners on home soil is a thing of the past. He noted that any high-quality spin attack now has the capability to challenge them in their own backyard.
"I think it is a misconception around the world now that these modern Indian players are better playing spin than anyone else. They are not. They are the same as everyone else around the world. Gone are the days of Ganguly, Gambhir, Laxman and Dravid. Sachin was so, so good against spin, and the era before them. I think good quality spinners are just as good as getting India out on turning tracks as Indian spinners against good quality opposition batters. And the moment they see a turning track in IPL, they complain," Doull said in a conversation with JioCinema during Lunch break on Friday.
Earlier, Washington Sundar took seven wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin claimed three, leading to New Zealand being all out for 259 in the first innings on Thursday.
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