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It has been a dream comeback into Test cricket for Washington Sundar. The Tamil Nadu and Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder was playing his first Test after a gap of more than 450 days or over 3 years.
In the first innings, the off-spinner claimed career-best figures of 7/59 – his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket and in the second innings he added three more wickets to this tally to complete his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests.
On course to picking up his 10 wickets in the match, Sundar dismissed in-form New Zealand batter Rachin Ravindra, who scored a century in the 1st Test in Bengaluru and a fifty in the first innings in Pune, twice and the second dismissal soon went viral on social media. Ravindra failed to pick up a straighter one from Sundar and was clean bowled for the second time in the match.
bowling!
He cleans up Rachin Ravindra for the second time in the #IDFCFirstBankTestTrophy
#INDvNZ #JioCinemaSports #TeamIndia #WashingtonSundar pic.twitter.com/lORKy4XmhR
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) October 25, 2024
But Sundar’s bowling heroics are still going in vain as Team India are very much on the backfoot in this Test match. Rohit Sharma’s side are in danger of losing the second Test and with it the series for the first time to New Zealand at home in 70 years.
If India lose this Test series, this will be he first home series loss of India after wins in 18 consecutive series dating back to 2012-13. India were bowled out for just 156 in the first innings of the Pune Test with New Zealand left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner claiming his career best figures of 7/53 – his first-ever five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
New Zealand are looking at a historic maiden Test series win in India for the first time in 68 years, having first come here in 1955-56. None of the New Zealand batters faced any apparent trouble batting on the pitch shortly after the star-studded Indian batting line-up cut a sorry figure for the second time in this series as they made elementary mistakes.
It was only in the last Test in Bengaluru that their all-time lowest score at home of 46 all-out was behind their first loss to the Kiwis in 36 years in their own backyard. On Friday afternoon, India folded a mere 156 in 45.3 overs as spunky New Zealand continued to perform way better compared to the hosts on their own soil, earning a lead of 103 runs in the first essay.
With their backs firmly pressed against the wall and 152 runs in deficit, Ravindra Jadeja took upon himself to reduce the margin but could not make a big dent. Jadeja hit Santner for a couple of fours and cleared the ropes twice against Ajaz Patel but eventually fell for 38 off 46 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Washington Sundar was unbeaten on 18 when India’s innings ended as the tail stood no chance after harakiri from the specialist batters.
(with PTI inputs)
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