Match overview
New Zealand beat India by 113 runs in the Pune Test on 24 October 2024, completing a victory that few would have predicted heading into the series given India's record at home. New Zealand posted 259 in the first innings and 255 in the second. India managed only 156 in reply to the first total, a deficit that proved too large to recover from. Their second-innings 245 was more competitive but fell well short of the 359 required. MJ Santner's 13 wickets for 157 runs across 48.5 overs was the story of the match: a left-arm spinner operating in conditions that traditionally suit the home side, and doing it better than India's own bowlers.
The margin tells part of the story; the innings scores tell more. India being bowled out for 156 on a surface they chose to play spinners on was the decisive blow. Washington Sundar took 11 wickets for 115 runs for India, which shows the pitch was not unplayable. The difference was execution under pressure, and Santner had the better of that contest across both New Zealand innings.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat, a choice that goes against the grain at this venue where 76 per cent of toss-winners opt to field. Their willingness to set a target rather than chase proved well-judged.
Venue and conditions
The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune has a well-documented reputation for assisting spin as a match progresses. Across 53 matches at the ground, the average first-innings score sits at 210, and the average second-innings score drops to 174. Chasing sides have won only 41 per cent of encounters here, making first-innings totals more valuable than the scorecard might suggest.
This Test followed that pattern closely. New Zealand's 259 in the first innings was above the venue average, and once India had been dismissed for 156, the conditions only deteriorated for batting as the match went on. By the fourth innings, India were chasing 359 on a surface that had already taken 30 wickets. The pitch gave turn from early in the match, and both Santner and Sundar exploited it throughout.
The toss bias at Pune is one of the stronger examples in Indian domestic Test venues: three quarters of captains who win the toss choose to bowl, reflecting how quickly the surface can deteriorate. New Zealand's captain took the opposite view, and that gamble paid off.
How to watch
Test matches involving India, including this series against New Zealand, are broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket. Coverage is available via Sky Go and NOW TV for those without a standard Sky subscription. Given that matches in India typically start at approximately 04:00 GMT, most UK viewers will follow via highlights or on-demand coverage. BBC Test Match Special provides radio commentary for select Test series, though IPL and bilateral series on the subcontinent tend to sit behind the Sky paywall for UK audiences.
For scheduling across the full New Zealand tour of India, Sky Sports' website carries daily start times converted to UK time.
Recent form
New Zealand came into this match with mixed form in 2024. They won their previous encounter against India in this same series window, but had lost two successive Tests to Sri Lanka earlier in the year. Victories against Papua New Guinea and Uganda in ICC events added wins to the column without necessarily testing their Test credentials.
India arrived in Pune having swept Bangladesh 4-0 in Tests. That run of form made their batting collapse in the first innings here all the more striking. Consecutive wins of that nature can create a sense of security that subcontinental spin exploits, and Santner's figures suggest India may have been underprepared for the specific challenge his left-arm variation posed.
New Zealand's next step in this series and their wider 2024-25 schedule will determine whether Pune represents a turning point or an isolated result against a side caught between cycles. For India, the batting frailty against spin at home is a question that will follow them into the remainder of the series.
