Caught in the spider web! Team India's struggles against spin bowlers | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: It is a rare sight when the hunter becomes the hunted. India, known at home for dominating their opponents, especially on spin-happy, dusty tracks, were at the mercy of Mitchell Santner's spin.
After bowling out New Zealand by 259 runs on the turning pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, India's batters faltered and collapsed like a house of cards to just 156 runs, conceding a sizeable lead of 103 runs in the second Test. India are already trailing 0-1 in the three-match series after losing the Bengaluru Test by eight wickets.
The dismissals of key players – Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja – reignited discussions about India's battle against spin.
This is not the first time that Team India has fallen into its own trap despite creating turning points for its opponents. Let's take a look at some of the previous cases:

INDIA vs AUSTRALIA, 3RD TEST, 2023, INDORE
The third Test between India and Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 was a crucial encounter in which the Aussies secured a nine-wicket win. After winning the first two Tests, India went into the game confident and faced a tough challenge on the revolving track at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

From day one the pitch began to rotate, allowing the Australian spinners to take advantage of the conditions.

Getty Images
In India's first innings, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann led the Australian spin attack and bowled out the Indian team for just 109.
Australia's response was bolstered by a powerful performance from Usman Khawaja, as well as contributions from Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

Although India's spinners, led by Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, tried to fight back, Australia built a decisive lead in the first innings.
In the second innings, Lyon wreaked havoc again, taking eight wickets. India ultimately lost the game by nine wickets but won the series 2-1.

INDIA vs ENGLAND, 1ST TEST, 2024, HYDERABAD
The pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad saw movement and movement as the game progressed.
England batted first and posted a competitive total of 246, supported by solid innings from Ben Duckett and Jonny Bairstow and an aggressive contribution down the order from Ben Stokes. Indian spinners Ashwin and Jadeja managed to contain the English batters by sharing six wickets while Axar Patel added two more.

Getty Images
In reply, India scored 436, with half-centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, marking a healthy lead.
England showed determination in the second innings, led by a brilliant knock from Ollie Pope, who scored 196 runs to set a challenging target for India. In their chase, India struggled against Tom Hartley's clever spin and collapsed for just 202 runs. England won the game by 28 runs.
INDIA vs ENGLAND, 1ST TEST, 2021, CHENNAI
In the opening Test between India and England in Chennai in 2021, England secured a comprehensive 227-run win and took an early lead in the four-match series.
England's performance was led by an outstanding double century from captain Joe Root, who scored a magnificent 218 and helped the team score an impressive 578 in the first innings.
In response, India's batting struggled against the English bowlers. Dom Bess (4/76) and Jack Leach (2/105) spun nets around the Indian line-up and bowled out the hosts for 337 runs, giving England a commanding lead.
India's second innings saw another collapse, with the team bowled out for just 192 runs, largely due to Jack Leach's four-wicket haul. England won the game by 227 runs.