India vs New Zealand 2nd Test: Is the game already over for India? History puts Rohit Sharma & Co. on the back foot | Cricket News

India captain Rohit Sharma with teammates in Pune. (PTI photo)

NEW DELHI: New Zealand extended their lead over India to more than 200 runs on the second day of the second Test MCA Stadium in Pune, with captain Tom Latham playing a crucial half-century in the second innings.
This puts India in a challenging situation as they have only successfully chased a target of over 200 at home or away once since 2012. The last home win in pursuit of a target of over 200 came against the same opponent, New Zealand, when India were chasing 261 in Bengaluru in 2012. Since then, their only successful attempt at a similar target was against Australia at the Gabba in 2021.
Scorecard: India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test
India's batting performance in the first innings raised serious concerns in Pune. After bowling New Zealand out for 259, led by Washington Sundar's impressive 7 for 59, India's batsmen faltered. Mitchell Santner's career-best performance of 7 for 53 dismantled the Indian line-up with the team shelling out just 156 and conceding a first-innings lead of 103 runs.
This was the second consecutive time that India conceded a lead of over 100 runs at home, a feat not seen since 2001 against Australia. Back then, India managed to turn things around and win the series and the team will be hoping for a similar result this time.

However, with New Zealand now holding a significant lead and India's batsmen struggling with spin, the task ahead seems daunting.
To win this Test and reach the series, India will need a remarkable fourth innings performance, something they have rarely achieved in the last decade.