Santner’s impact as a bowler can’t ignored, not because he’s funky but because he’s simple
You know what’s the toughest thing to do? Keep it simple.
Think about it.
One of the greatest coaches in modern-day football, Pep Guardiola, had one problem: He couldn’t keep it simple. Every time there is a big fixture, Guardiola is always overthinking; either he’s dropping his striker to play false-nine, or he’s playing an extra defender.
It is the same ol’, same ol’. You know why? Because keeping it simple is always the tough thing.
The more you say it, the more you realise why it isn’t as simple as it seems.
But in Mitchell Santner’s case, he can’t do it any other way, can he?
The 33-year-old is that man, simple yet effective. There’s no mystery; it is all about science, it is all about the angles, and it is pretty damn all about that speed. He knows when to slow it up and certainly knows when to cut out all angles, bowling at some pace.
Every time South Africa were running away with the second semi-final in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, there was Santner.
The left-arm spinner deceived Temba Bavuma with a loop, turning the ball just enough to beat the South African captain’s booming drive to break a 105-run partnership. But the real magic was what preceded that when the left-arm spinner bowled it in the same channel, varying the pace, keeping things simple.
Eventually, it was that delivery, a little wider and a little loopier, that ended Bavuma’s vigilant stay at the crease, as New Zealand found an entry to breach the Proteas’ fortress. When Aiden Makram joined Rassie van der Dussen, South Africa were still in the game, you know, especially with how dew could play a role.
That’s where every ball from Santner was gold dust because he wasn’t giving the two batters any sort of room. Bowling to that pair, the left-arm spinner stuck to bowling at the stumps, with 83.3% of the deliveries hitting them. But such is Santner’s wizardry that even when he’s doing the simplest of things, there is something that makes the difference.
Unlike other deliveries, here against an on-song van der Dussen, Santner just changes one thing: he goes wide of the crease, creating an illusion that the ball will slide down the leg side, but that’s when it turns past the outside edge to hit the middle stump.
If you look at the South African batter’s head position, he was looking for a ball that would go down with the angle, not the one that turns.
Even then, you know, with Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, ruling out South Africa would be quite the dumb move. But then, when Santner is on your side, New Zealand would have been pretty confident that they were one step away from the final.
That one step became closer when the left-arm spinner lured Klaasen into a big shot, bowling it quicker this time around. While Santner did not expect this outcome when he bowled, it showed how Santner understood his own strengths and weaknesses on the night.
“We took wickets in the middle overs and made it tough for the opposition. It was really pleasing for me to take three scalps today. It makes my job easier; we have four all-rounders who can bowl spin, and they can bat as well,” Santner said in the post-match presentation.
On any other day, Santner could have finished with a five-wicket haul even but like they say, some 90s are way better than the centuries. It was such a case for Santner, who kept things simple.
“It's a pretty good feeling, today we were challenged by a good side, we will head to Dubai where we already faced India earlier. Being there and being put under pressure was good. I think the bowlers bowled well to chip wickets at the top. I think winning the toss will be nice as well.
But the biggest threat for Santner is on Sunday against the mighty Indians.
And for the Indians, it will be the 33-year-old bespectacled, innocent-looking Santner. Australia might have possibly just scratched India’s face with that spin unit but New Zealand can well and truly bury them.
You don’t even have to look far beyond; you just have to rewind your brain to a few months ago, when Santner was the chief architect behind New Zealand's stellar win in Pune.
India will still be the favourites, but so were they in the three-match Test series at home against the Black Caps? Santner will want to relive all of that when these two sides meet on Sunday.