Returning to the Test side after a three-and-a-half-year gap, Washington Sundar was the wrecker-in-chief on the opening day of the second Test, taking a seven-wicket haul to dismantle the New Zealand batting line-up on a turning track, and restrict them to 259. After Rohit Sharma fell for a duck, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal steadied the innings, ensuring no further wickets were lost by the end of the day.
New Zealand looked strong at one stage, with fifties from Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. While they were batting, it seemed the visitors were on track for a big first-innings score. The in-and-out field strategy wasn’t paying off, and the fast bowlers appeared flat, as did the overall situation.
The visitors were comfortably placed at 197/3 when Sundar was brought into the attack just before tea, and he dramatically turned the game on its head. His first breakthrough came with a beauty, bowling Ravindra with a sharp-turning delivery. Shortly after, he breached Tom Blundell’s defence, sending his stumps flying. That was the beginning of Sundar’s match-turning spell. Post-tea, he took complete control, claiming the remaining five wickets.
Daryl Mitchell, who struggled at the crease, was trapped lbw, while Glenn Phillips fell to a half-hearted shot. Sundar was relentless, maintaining a tight line and length, and using clever variations in pace to trouble the batters on a pitch that favoured spin. His ability to consistently land the ball in the right areas justified his selection ahead of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel.
It was fitting that Sundar wrapped up the New Zealand innings by dismissing an in-form Mitchell Santner with another brilliant delivery, marking his fifth bowled victim of the innings. From a strong position at 197/3, New Zealand collapsed, losing their last seven wickets for just 62 runs. Sundar finished with career-best figures of 7/59 in 23.1 overs.
There wasn’t much swing or seam on offer for the pacers on the slow pitch, so after just seven overs, spin took over. Ravichandran Ashwin claimed the first three wickets, including Tom Latham with a stunning delivery that pitched on leg stump and turned sharply, and Will Young, caught down the leg side. Conway fell to a loose shot, and the rest was all Sundar.
Ashwin and Sundar combined to take all ten wickets, making history as the first pair of Indian off-spinners to achieve this feat in the same innings.
Brief scores: New Zealand 259 all out (Devon Conway 76, Rachin Ravindra 65; Washington Sundar 7-59) lead India 16/1 (Shubman Gill 10*, Yashasvi Jaiswal 6*; Tim Southee 1-4) by 243 runs.