Pune: Washington Sundar swung the pendulum in India’s favour with two quick wickets in the second session of Day 1 of the second Test between India and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium on Thursday.
Sundar bowled two dream deliveries to dismiss in-form and well-set Rachin Ravindra before getting rid of Tom Blundell on the stroke of Tea as the Kiwis stumbled to 201/5 at the end of the second session.
Picked ahead of Kuldeep Yadav to counter the Kiwi left-handers, Sundar justified his selection by bowling a perfect delivery that drifted in and turned sharply from length to beat Ravindra’s outside edge to hit the top of the off-stump.
T. I. M. B. E. R! 🎯
Cracker of a ball! 👌 👌
Washington Sundar with a breakthrough 🙌 🙌
Live ▶️ https://t.co/YVjSnKCtlI #TeamIndia | #INDvNZ | @Sundarwashi5 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/OC8VS7fnwT
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 24, 2024
Blundell out 3(12) by sundar#INDvsNZ #RohitSharma #KLRahul𓃵 2nd Test #AishwaryaRai #ViratKohli #Ashwin #Amaran #WorldPolioDay #WashingtonSundar pic.twitter.com/J002lyIPIw
— sachin malav (@SachinMalav11) October 24, 2024
India strike back after tough first session
Having resumed at 92/2, Kiwis remained in control of the afternoon session until a change of ends brought success for Sundar as he joined Ravichandran Ashwin (3/48) in the wickets column.
India managed to dismiss Tom Latham and Will Young in the first session but a 62-run stand between Devon Conway and Ravindra pushed the hosts back.
Ashwin dismissed Conway for 76 in the second session to land a huge blow to the visitors. In the process, Ashwin surpassed Australia’s Nathan Lyon to become the leading wicket-taker in World Test Championship (WTC) history and also in the all-time list of highest wicket-takers in Tests, reaching the seventh position.
Besides Ashwin and Sundar, none of the Indian bowlers looked threatening.
India made three changes in the playing XI as Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav were dropped in favour of Akash Deep, Washington Sundar and Shubman Gill.
Earlier, New Zealand skipper Latham won the toss and chose to bat in hot and sry condition in Pune.
