Anil Kumble lauds Mitchell Santner's spin-bowling masterclass against India

It was almost as if Mitchell Santner wanted to prove a point and showcase his prowess as soon as he was granted the ball during India's first innings. Hacing scored a confidence-boosting 33 in the Kiwis' first innings, Santner transferred the impetus into his stint with the ball, shushing the packed Maharashtra Cricket Association to utter silence as he accounted for seven of India's nine wickets on Day 2 of the ongoing Test.

What made the effort even more commendable was the fact that the bowling all-rounder was coming in the wake of a Sri Lanka tour in which he managed only a solitary wicket in 66.2 overs. Former India cricketer Anil Kumble attributed Santner's success to his white-ball smarts.

"The angles that he bowls from and his understanding of bowling in white-ball cricket. He is consistent in the areas that he bowls in and what he has developed with white-ball bowling in control over his speed. Because it is not just about the turn that people keep talking about, but the pace at which you bowl and the variations. And that's something he is good at," stated Kumble while commentating on Santenr's bowling display.

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Santner enters elusive list with maiden five-wicket haul in Tests

The 32-year-old picked up his maiden five-for in Tests. Ending up with seven, he entered a pristine archive of Kiwi spinners by becoming only the fifth to secure the milestone in India in the longest format of the game.

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The fifth wicket Santner scalped was of Ravindra Jadeja, who ended up as India's top-scorer in an innings they would want to forget. It will be intriguing to see the amount of wickets Santner will add to his kitty during India's run-chase in the near-future.