Best figures for New Zealand vs India in Tests

The struggle of Indian batsmen against spinners continued in the first innings of the second Test match being played against New Zealand in Pune. Indian batsmen succumbed to the spin of left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner on the very second day and were all out for just 156 runs in the first innings. In this way, the Kiwi team took a lead of 103 runs over India.

Also Read: Mitchell Santner's seven-wicket Haul: A Historic Performance Against India in Test Cricket

Santner played an important role in wrapping up the Indian innings cheaply. He took seven wickets for 53 runs. This achievement puts him in an elite list of Kiwi bowlers with impressive Test records in India, where subcontinental conditions have often tested New Zealand’s bowling depth. Santner is the fifth New Zealand bowler to take five or more wickets in India. Not only this, He is also the second New Zealand spinner to have the best bowling performance in Tests in India. Let's take a look at the other bowlers who have the best figures for New Zealand vs India in Tests.

Best figures for New Zealand vs India (Test)

1# Ajaz Patel - 10/119 (2021)

Ajaz Patel's indefatigable 10 for 119 in 47.5 overs had kept India to 325 all out in their first innings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the 2021 series. Ajaz joined Jim Laker and Anil Kumble as one of only three men who had taken all ten wickets in a Test innings, becoming the first one to do so in an away game. 

Patel dismissed India’s batting lineup, one wicket at a time, with crucial dismissals of top-order batsmen like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. Despite his monumental effort, New Zealand struggled, with India’s batters dominating the second innings, leading to New Zealand’s eventual loss by a massive margin of 372 runs.

2# Richard Hadlee - 7/23 (1976)

Arguably the greatest bowler from New Zealand and one of the finest pacers ever, Sir Richard Hadlee was the chief architect of the Kiwi victory in the third Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in February 1976. 

Hadlee took four wickets in the Indian first innings which ended at 220. New Zealand scored 334 runs in their first innings and with Sunil Gavaskar not batting in the second innings due to an injury, India crashed out for 81 runs. Hadlee took 7/23 off just 8.3 overs in the second innings, with one over consisting of 8 deliveries. The innings victory enabled New Zealand to draw the three-Test series 1-1.

3# Mitchell Santner - 7/53 (2024)*

Mitchell Santner produced a masterclass, registering his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket, as he played a key role in New Zealand's dominance over India in the second Test in Pune. Santner finished with seven wickets, conceding just 53 runs as India failed the trial by spin at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium Pune (October 25, 2024).

After this feat, Santner became only the fifth New Zealand spinner to take a five-wicket haul in Test cricket in India. He also registered the third-best bowling figures by a New Zealand spinner in India after Ajaz Patel and Sir Richard Hadlee. His seven-wicket haul, a career-best in Test cricket, effectively limited India to a low score of 156, giving New Zealand a massive 103-run lead.

Also Read: Best figures for India vs New Zealand in Tests

4# Tim Southee - 7/64 (2012)

Tim Southee’s 7/64 in Bengaluru in 2012 remains one of the finest exhibitions of swing bowling on Indian soil. Known for his ability to move the ball both ways, Southee utilized overcast conditions and a slightly green pitch to generate significant swing, which troubled India’s top-order batters.

His delivery to dismiss Gautam Gambhir with a perfect outswinger is still remembered as a textbook example of fast bowling. Southee’s persistence and skill not only broke partnerships but also kept India’s scoring in check. His consistent pace and movement posed a challenge that India found difficult to counter, making it a landmark performance for a foreign pacer in India. New Zealand still lost the Test match as Southee’s performance went in vain.

5# Simon Doull - 7/65 (1998)

In the inaugural Boxing Day Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in December 1998, Simon Doull ran through the Indian batting line-up in their first innings accounting for seven of the top eight batsmen. 

Had it not been for a defiant unbeaten century from captain Mohammed Azharuddin, it would have been a total disaster for the Indians, as Doull had single-handedly reduced the visitors to 132/7. Doull’s performance was the fourth best by a Kiwi bowler in Test cricket at that time and set the stage for a four-wicket victory and a 1-0 series lead for the hosts in the two-Test series.