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Mitchell Santner played through the pain barrier as New Zealand secured their maiden series win in India going back to 1955 and the left-arm spinner said picking up wickets regularly in the second test had helped him persevere.
After an eight-wicket success in Bengaluru, New Zealand won the second match in Pune by 113 runs on Saturday and ended their opponents' proud home streak of 18 successive series victories against any country stretching back to 2012.
Santner spearheaded New Zealand's effort, going unchanged for 29 overs during India's second innings despite a sore side and claimed 6-104 to finish with a stellar match total of 13 wickets after his 7-53 in the first innings.
"My side's a little sore. Must be the spike in my workloads, 20-odd overs there," Santner said.
"I felt it a little bit early on in my spell but I guess in that kind of situation you just want to keep going for the team and every time I'd get a wicket, it felt a little better."
Santner's effort was the third-best haul in a match by a visiting bowler in India, behind only teammate Ajaz Patel, who bagged 14-225 at Mumbai in 2021, and England's Ian Botham, who picked up 13-106 at the same venue in 1980.
"I've been in and out (of the test side) and to get these conditions and put in a shift like that is pleasing," Santner added to New Zealand media on Sunday.
"To do it against India, beat them at their own game. That was the most pleasing thing for us in that second test.
"... In Bengaluru we got the best of conditions, especially at the start. After that it was a grind. Over here, we out-spun them, outplayed them in their home conditions."
'ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL'
Glenn Phillips said he was delighted that his fellow spinner was getting the recognition he deserves.
"For him to be able to take 13 wickets in a really crucial, tight game... the way that he went about in both the first and second innings was absolutely crucial," Phillips said.
"He bowled in some seriously good areas, the control he had went such a long way. It's tough being a spinner in New Zealand and he's had a lot of naysayers in the past.
"To be able to show them what he can actually do and to be able to show from a team first perspective what is needed in Indian conditions is fantastic. I'm super stoked for him."
Skipper Tom Latham heaped praise on Santner, whose previous best in an innings was 3-34.
"He did a fantastic job. Obviously the wickets he got ... But what will go unnoticed is the amount of overs he bowled back-to-back," Latham said.
"I kept trying to take him off but he kept taking a wicket. So I said 'you can keep going'. Look, I can't praise him enough for what he's done. He was simply fantastic."
The final test begins in Mumbai on Friday.