India cricket legend Virat Kohli faced a strange dismissal in the second Test against New Zealand at MCA Stadium in Pune. Attempting to sweep a full toss from Mitchell Santner, Kohli missed the ball entirely, resulting in his wicket and leaving India in a precarious position at 56-3 in response to New Zealand's first-innings score of 259. The pitch has been highly favorable to spinners, and the Kiwi bowlers are taking full advantage of the conditions.

Starting the day at 16-1 with Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the crease, the duo played cautiously, guiding India to 50 runs before Gill was trapped LBW by Santner. There were high expectations for Kohli, who had scored an impressive 70 runs in the second innings of the first Test, but he managed only a single run this time. Visibly frustrated with his shot selection, he made his way back to the dressing room.

India now trails New Zealand by 198 runs, and given the current state of the pitch, that seems like a significant challenge. The responsibility now falls on Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is well-established at the crease, along with Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant, who were instrumental in India's remarkable fightback in the first Test, scoring 150 and 99 runs respectively.

To avoid a series defeat, India must win the second Test, especially as they seek crucial points in the World Test Championship (WTC). The loss in the first Test has hurt India's chances of reaching the WTC final, and they need to secure victories in both Tests against New Zealand to keep their hopes alive. Additionally, they will need two wins in Australia and at least two draws to qualify for the final. If India fails to win the second Test or if it ends in a draw—though that seems unlikely—they would find themselves in serious trouble.