Washington Sundar’s sensational spell puts India in power

Earlier in the day, Washington Sundar stole the limelight with a career-best bowling performance that saw New Zealand bowled out for 259. Sundar, playing his first game in the series, made an immediate impact by picking up 7 wickets for just 59 runs. His stellar effort, which included dismissing five batsmen through clean deliveries, left the New Zealand line-up in disarray after a solid start to their top order.

Devon Conway (62) and Rachin Ravindra (56) stood out for the Kiwis, resisting well-compiled half-centuries. However, Sundar’s incisive bowling turned the tide in India’s favourpreventing New Zealand from taking advantage of their platform and pooling them for a pittance.

Sundar, who was added to the squad ahead of the 2nd Test, made a fiery return to the playing XI, making up for his absence in the opening series. His spin, accuracy and ability to extract spin from the Pune pitch proved too much for the visiting side, overshadowing the contributions of Conway and Ravindra.

India now face the challenge of chasing New Zealand’s total with plenty of batting depth, but much depends on the partnership between Gill and Jaiswal as they battle New Zealand’s disciplined bowling attack led by Southee.

Day 2 promises to be an exciting contest as India look to take control of the game while New Zealand aim to take advantage of the conditions and make further inroads into the Indian top-flight.