India ended Day 1 of the second Test against New Zealand trailing by 243 runs, reaching 16/1 after opener Rohit Sharma was bowled for a duck by Tim Southee. The hosts’ cautious reply saw Shubman Gill (10*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (6*) standing unbeaten at stumps, aiming to rebuild after the early loss of Sharma.
Earlier in the day, Washington Sundar stole the spotlight 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 the dismissals of five batters through clean-bowled deliveries, left the New Zealand lineup in disarray after a solid start by their top order.
Devon Conway (62) and Rachin Ravindra (56) were the standouts for the Kiwis, providing resistance with well-composed half-centuries. However, Sundar’s incisive bowling turned the tide in India’s favor, preventing New Zealand from capitalizing on their platform and bundling them out for a modest total.
Sundar, who was added to the squad ahead of the 2nd Test, returned to the playing XI with fire, making up for his absence in the series opener. His spin, accuracy, and ability to extract turn from the Pune pitch proved too much for the visiting side, overshadowing Conway and Ravindra’s contributions.
India now face the challenge of chasing New Zealand’s total with plenty of batting depth, but a lot depends on the partnership between Gill and Jaiswal as they take on New Zealand’s disciplined bowling attack led by Southee.
Day 2 promises to be a riveting contest, as India looks to take control of the match while New Zealand aims to exploit the conditions and make further inroads into India’s top order.
