R Ashwin and, on his comeback, Washington Sundar shared all 10 wickets on the first day of the Pune Test match against New Zealand. New Zealand were bowled out for 259 after Tom Latham won the toss and opted to bat in the second Test of the three-match series. New Zealand were, at various points, 76-1, 138-2, and 197-3, but Washington Sundar (7-59) took the last seven wickets to bowl them out.
Washington Sundar’s figures were the best by an Indian spinner other than R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja since Anil Kumble claimed 7-48 against Australia at Chennai in 2004/05. Even among seamers, Irfan Pathan equaled Washington Sundar’s figures (against Zimbabwe at Harare in 2005) but no one went past them.
Washington Sundar’s figures were also the best at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje, Pune. He went past Steve O’Keefe’s twin 6-35s in 2016/17. Umesh Yadav (4-32 against Australia in the same Test) used to hold the record for India.
Washington Sundar was drafted into the squad after India lost the first Test, at Bengaluru, by eight wickets. At Pune, India left out Kuldeep Yadav, and picked Washington Sundar ahead of Axar Patel. Here, his spell came after Ashwin (3-64), his senior off-spin-bowling all-rounder at Tamil Nadu and India, claimed the first three wickets of the innings. Incidentally, Ashwin’s best Test figures are also 7-59.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report : The color of the pitch remains the same – black soil in both Bangalore and Pune. On a good length area, it’s a lot more dry and a lot more devoid of grass. The team winning the toss should bat first, and there will be enough assistance for spinners from ball one reckons Simon Doull and Dinesh Karthick in their pitch report.
Toss : New Zealand skipper Tom Latham won the toss and chose to bat with one forced change in the playing XI with first match hero Matt Henry got replaced by Mitchell Santner due to glute niggle. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma bowling first made 3 changes in the playing XI replacing Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj and KL Rahul with Washington Sundar, Akash Deep and Shubman Gill .
Day 1 : Morning Session : R Ashwin strikes twice but Conway helps New Zealand to solid start on Day 1
Devon Conway’s unbeaten 47 helped New Zealand to a steady start in the opening session of the second Test against India in Pune. In a session where there was little trouble for the batters, the visitors took a measured approach and went to Lunch at 92 for 2.
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat, and had come in with one forced change – Matt Henry sitting out with a glute niggle and making way for Mitchell Santner. India, on the other hand, made three swaps – Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj making way for Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill and Akash Deep.
While spin was introduced quite early in the innings, and remained in operation for most parts of the morning session, New Zealand managed to find some early boundaries despite adopting a conservative approach. Akash Deep strayed slightly in line, at times even found the outside edge but was hit for three boundaries in his first two overs.
There was a bit of turn on offer for the spinners whenever they slowed down their pace significantly, but they largely preferred to operate at an average of early to mid 90kmph, looking to hurry the batters with the sliders. Both the spinners managed to beat the outside edge of the batters on a number of occasions, but there weren’t ample appeals.
However, with both the batters being quick to take advantage of the error in lines and the high pace which allowed them to work the ball around in gaps, the scoreboard was moving at a reasonable pace even when there wasn’t any aggressive intent.
Young departed against the run of play when he gloved a delivery down the leg to the ‘keeper. Even as the on-field umpire wasn’t convinced, a review helped India overturn the decision and bag their second wicket of the session. Rachin Ravindra was hit on his pads early by Ravindra Jadeja, and India even took a review but lost it.
Interestingly it was Jadeja who seemed to have troubled both the left-handers the most, but not enough to send either of them back before the first session break.
As the series moved from Bengaluru to Pune, the clouds, seam and extra bounce all disappeared. There was no concept of good-toss-to-lose here. Nothing is ever easy in Test cricket, but this was one of the easier starts to an innings with the openers racing to 30 in seven overs without any trouble. But Ashwin was introduced early, and it took him just five balls to drift one in and then turn it past the outside edge to trap Tom Latham lbw.
There was turn from the good part of the pitch, but not consistent. The partnership between Conway and Will Young looked threatening, but a sharp review demanded by short leg Sarfaraz Khan returned a faint touch of the glove to send Young back. Now Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja kept troubling the batters: in the 11 overs they bowled in tandem, they drew 24 false shots and conceded just 30 runs.
Day 1 : Post Lunch Session : Washington Sundar’s twin strikes even out Conway, Ravindra fifties
Washington Sundar struck twice late in the second session to reduce New Zealand to 201 for 5 undoing the half-centuries by Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, which had kept the visitors in a steady position in the face of a relentless fast-spin attack by the Indian troika.
Barring some early movement for the pacers and some turn for the spinners, the slow nature of the surface has offered little support to the bowlers so far on Thursday. An outside edge which ran for a boundary got New Zealand’s innings moving in the morning, where they largely relied on the errors in line by the bowlers to work the ball around and keep the scoreboard moving.
R Ashwin, who was introduced into the attack in the eighth over, managed to get the ball turning sharply and trap Tom Latham leg before. That early dismissal to spin promised a spin-test for the batters. But that wasn’t to be. On a slowish surface, the spinners were forced to operate at high pace, with all three – Ashwin, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja averaging at over 90kmph.
New Zealand took a fairly more attacking approach in the second session, which started out with Devon Conway cover driving a half-volley off Jasprit Bumrah the first ball of the second session for a boundary to bring up his half-century. He followed that up with a couple of more boundaries in the over to take New Zealand’s total past the 100-run mark. Even as the visitors continued to be restrictive with their shot-making, Conway employed the reverse sweep every now and then, including one off Washington Sundar that went for a boundary.
It seemed the batters were in little trouble before Conway went chasing after a half-tracker turning delivery by Ashwin which took the edge to the ‘keeper and ended his stay on 77.
Ashwin and Jadeja bowled marginally slower in the second session, got more grip and turn, managed to beat the defence of the New Zealand batters on several occasions, but despite looking shaky, Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell managed to continue piling on the runs, stitching a 59-run stand. However, in the last 15 minutes, Washington Sundar returned to the attack and struck twice in quick succession.
Ravindra, who had looked the most comfortable of the batters and even stepped out to hit Jadeja for a six down the ground, was squared and cleaned up by Washington Sundar. Two overs later, Tom Blundell was bowled through the gates as the visitors swiftly slipped from 197 for 3 to 201 for 5, handing over the momentum to India. Interestingly all the five wickets to fall so far, have come from the Pavilion End so far, all to the off spinning duo.
Post-lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington Sundar, runs came freely: 35 off the eight overs. Ashwin brought control first and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball turned, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the turn made him look like pushing at a ball he didn’t need to play.
Ravindra, Player of the Match in Bengaluru, brought New Zealand much-needed solidity because Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an lbw on umpire’s call, played risky sweeps of both kinds, and only looked comfortable after 20 balls or so. Ravindra, though, gave the bowlers nothing. Akash Deep got close to getting him with at short midwicket but the hit was too ferocious to catch for a fielder so close. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat slip and brought up his fifty.
Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington Sundar began to get it right. The first ball of this spell turned from middle and off to go past Ravindra’s bat and hit the top of off. Things began to happen now as balls went straight on or turned from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea beat Tom Blundell’s outside edge, and the last one, slower and wider, turned back in through the gate to take top of middle.
Day 1 : Afternoon Session : Washington Sundar’s 7-fer bundles out NZ for 259 on opening day in Pune
Washington Sundar’s career-best 7 for 59 triggered a collapse as New Zealand fell from 197 for 3 to get bundled out for 259 on the opening day of the second Test in Pune. India went to stumps on 16 for 1. It was the first fifer for an Indian spinner at the venue, which offset the half-centuries stroked by Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra earlier on Thursday.
Washington, Sundar, who was drafted into the squad only a few days earlier, was introduced into the XI at the expense of Kuldeep Yadav. India made two more changes to the side that had lost the opening Test, with Mohammed Siraj and KL Rahul making way for Akash Deep and Shubman Gill.
New Zealand had made a quick start to their innings with a flurry of boundaries against Akash Deep, while Jasprit Bumrah kept the scoring tight from the other end. However, the introduction of spin in the eighth over immediately paid dividends with R Ashwin trapping Tom Latham leg before with a delivery that straightened a touch.
However, for most of the first two sessions, while the spinners were largely in operation, the batters found run-scoring rather easy even as they weren’t taking too many risks. The pitch was slow and the spin troika of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar compensated that by operating at high speeds. They did manage to beat the bat on numerous occasions and even hit the pads several times, but there was rarely any danger for the batters.
Will Young departed rather unfortunately to a delivery by Ashwin that spun past him and brushed his glove down the legside, something which Sarfaraz Khan at short leg spotted and goaded Rohit Sharma into taking the review. But Conway and
Rachin Ravindra, carrying his form from Bengaluru, ensured that the Indian spinners had to work hard for their scalps. Conway went on the offensive against Bumrah right after the Lunch break, driving a half volley by the pacer to bring up his half-century, following that up by a couple of more hits to the fence in the same over.
Just when he seemed settled for a big innings, he went chasing at a half-tracker by Ashwin and edged it to the ‘keeper, handing the offspinner his third wicket of the innings.
For 3 hours and 45 minutes, despite the three dismissals, New Zealand seemed comfortable in the middle for a long haul. However, all of that dramatically started to change 15 minutes before Tea, starting with the dismissal of Ravindra, who was squared and cleaned up by a sharply turning delivery from Washington. The office then had Tom Blundell bowled through the gates in his next over, which shifted the momentum in India’s favour heading into the break.
In the second session, where the pace of the wicket had allowed New Zealand to break free, including Ravindra who stepped out to hit Jadeja for a six, the batters were able to cope with the spin-challenge. However, the absence of moisture in the third session, backed up by a lot more variation in pace by the spinners, triggered a batting collapse.
Washington Sundar, who kept testing the offstump with his off breaks, was the beneficiary of that collapse. While Mitchell was trapped leg before and Glenn Phillips holed out to Ashwin at long off, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel and Santner had their stumps knocked over, deceiving them with flight and turn.
Washington bagged four wickets in his last four overs to swiftly clean up the tail. All the 10 wickets fell to off spinners. Even as the momentum had shifted drastically in India’s favour, the hosts too had their set of challenges in the dying minutes of the day’s play. Rohit Sharma was squared up by an away-moving delivery from Tim Southee and bowled for a duck. Gill and Yashaswi Jaiswal remained unbeaten but not untroubled heading into stumps on Thursday.
Post-tea, Washington Sundar bowled in all his glory: at the stumps, but getting variable turn from the pitch. An inspired review accounted for Mitchell in a rare dismissal: offspinner getting an lbw from over the wicket when the batter is forward. As it turned out, this had turned just the right amount to both be hitting him in line and taking the leg stump.
Tied down, frequently going back to full balls, Glenn Phillips ended his struggle of 9 off 31 with a chip straight to deep mid-off. Had you seen just the shot and not the field, you wouldn’t have been wrong to assume the mid-off was up tight and he was just looking to clear him.
Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his fighting 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. To Tim Southee he went wide on the crease from around the wicket. The angle beat the outside edge and hit top of off. Ajaz Patel was caught back to a full ball, and played on.
To bookend his work, Washington Sundar produced another beauty to account for the set batter, Santner: one that pitched on middle and off and took the top of off. The accuracy and variations of pace and seam position, with a little help from the pitch, proved to be too good for New Zealand.
With just 10-odd overs to bat to stumps, India shelved some of their ultra-aggressive approach from their last two Tests. Still, Southee swung and seamed one past Rohit Sharma’s watchful bat to take top of off. A small bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.
Road Ahead on Day 2 for India and New Zealand
Three days ago, Washington Sundar was not even part of this Test squad, instead scoring a hundred and taking a couple of three-fors against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Brought in the XI ahead of the incumbent spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) and the back-up (Axar Patel) in the squad, he took seven wickets on the first day of a Test to bowl New Zealand out for 259. Five of his victims were bowled, one lbw and one caught as he took out the last seven wickets following three taken by Tamil Nadu team-mate R Ashwin.
While this was Washington Sundar’s maiden Test five-for and his best figures in first-class cricket, the three wickets took Ashwin past Nathan Lyon’s 530 in 25 fewer Tests. The two could be involved in a showdown later in the year in Australia, but right now India were in a fight to defend their 18-series winning streak at home. Washington Sundar proved to be just the ally he needed.
India called up a second offspinner from outside the squad ostensibly to lengthen their batting without compromising on taking the ball away from left-hand batters, but two left-hand batters in the top order – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – still scored fifties and threatened to take New Zealand to a big total after winning the toss on a track on which batting last won’t be fun. New Zealand were 138 for 2 when Ashwin got Conway, and 197 for 3 when Washington accounted for Ravindra.
Good start with the ball from New Zealand with Southee getting rid of the Indian captain for a duck, and then the two left-arm spinners finding help from the pitch to create some jeopardy. They might have suffered a collapse with the bat earlier, losing seven for 62, but this game is far from over. However, all that is for later. Today has belonged to Washington Sundar and his sensational 7-fer – a performance with which he showcased his attributes and control with the ball.
Picked ahead of Kuldeep Yadav, the 25-year-old off-spinner delivered the goods in some style, making the most of the help that was on offer. What makes it all the more memorable is the manner of a lot of the dismissals. Take Rachin Ravindra for instance. He was batting superbly on 65, but was left bamboozled with a delivery that drifted in, dipped sharply and opened him up to clatter off stump.
And he wasn’t the only one who suffered such a fate. Six of Washington’s dismissals were bowled or lbw, deceiving batters in the air and then with the turn. Top class stuff from the man playing his first Test in more than three years. Perhaps India, but not by much you would think. There is enough help in this pitch for the spinners, and 259 isn’t the worst effort from New Zealand.