Mitchell Santner Creates T20I History With Match-Turning 4-Wicket Haul Against India In Christchurch

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner produced a standout spell in Christchurch on Saturday, but India still won the second T20I by four wickets. New Zealand defended 180/5, and Santner’s 4/21 briefly swung the match before India’s late surge sealed the chase.

Santner became the first bowler to record more than one four-wicket haul against India in men’s T20Is. Even so, India hunted down 181 in 19.5 overs, leaving his effort in a losing cause.

India’s recovery reshaped the contest. Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy put together an unbeaten 69-run stand for the seventh wicket after Santner had stalled the middle overs and left India on 112/6 in the 15th over. That result sent India 2-0 ahead in the five-match series.

Santner's Middle-Order Spell

Santner broke the chase open.

He first had Abhishek Sharma caught at deep midwicket by Nathan Smith for 27. The wicket slowed India’s momentum and opened the door for New Zealand to tighten the screws through the middle overs.

Santner then bowled India captain Shreyas Iyer for seven, using drift and flight to beat him as he tried to slog across the line. He followed that with Axar Patel for 11, with Daryl Mitchell finishing a relay catch near the boundary after Finn Allen played a part in the field.

He struck again in the 15th over. Naman Dhir, who had briefly revived India with 31 off 17 balls, was drawn by a flighted ball outside off. His attempted inside-out loft went straight to Glenn Phillips at extra cover. The dismissal left India on 112/6, with the asking rate climbing quickly. Santner closed with 4/21.

Record Against India

The figures carried added significance.

Santner’s 4/21 made him the first bowler to collect multiple four-wicket hauls against India in men’s T20Is, Times of India reported. His previous four-wicket haul against India came in Nagpur at the 2016 T20 World Cup, when he finished with a career-best 4/11.

That performance remains a landmark. New Zealand posted 126/7 and then bowled India out for 79, with Santner’s spell helping secure a 47-run win in that match.

The report also listed the other spinner four-fors against India in T20Is: Wanindu Hasaranga’s 4/9 in Colombo (RPS) in 2021, Daniel Vettori’s 4/20 in Johannesburg in 2007 and Gerhard Erasmus’s 4/20 in Delhi in 2026.

India's Late Fightback

India responded sharply.

With New Zealand seemingly in control and Santner dictating terms, Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy flipped the chase after India had slipped to 112/6 in the 15th over.

Tilak finished unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls, while Nitish was not out on 26 off 13. Their seventh-wicket partnership produced 69 unbroken runs from 30 balls and shut New Zealand out at the finish.

India completed the chase of 181 in 19.5 overs. The four-wicket result put them 2-0 up in the five-match series and left Santner’s outstanding individual effort on the losing side.