New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): The cricketer who has delivered the best Test performance in the last 12 months is awarded the Wisden Trophy annually. In 2024, New Zealand’s (NZ) Mitchell Santner took home the Wisden Trophy for his 13-157 performance against India in Pune, as per the official website of Wisden.
Mitchell Santner recorded perhaps New Zealand’s most important Test statistics in Pune in October.
His 13-157, 7-53, and 6-104 served as motivation for them to achieve their first series victory in India. Santner’s haul was of comparable magnitude to Richard Hadlee’s 15-123 at Brisbane in 1985/86, which is still their best analysis.
Santner contributed 33 crucial runs in the first innings while wickets fell around him and ran out Rishabh Pant for a duck in the second test.
Given that he had never taken more than three wickets in an innings during his 28 Test matches, his achievement was all the more remarkable. His regular four and ten-over white-ball performances were no match for the demands of the workload.
Twelve previous tours of India had brought New Zealand two wins and 17 defeats. Yet they were soon celebrating a 3-0 triumph, a margin India had not suffered at home since the all-conquering West Indians visited in 1983-84, for a six-match series.
This was Santner’s sole appearance in the series, added lustre to the legend. Glenn Phillips and Ajaz Patel had been preferred in the opening Test at Bengaluru, and a side strain ruled Santner out at Mumbai.
A left-handed batsman and left-arm spinner, Mitchell Santner was first elevated to the New Zealand side after a promising 2014-15 domestic season. He was named in the one-day squad for the tour of England following the retirement of Daniel Vettori after the World Cup as New Zealand searched for another left-arm spin option.
He made his Test debut later that year in the first-ever day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide. Across all formats, the kiwi all-rounder has made 3229 in 257 matches with a hundred and eight fifties. He has taken 320 wickets in 257 matches with best figures of 7/53 vs India. (ANI)