Daily Republic News
Team India came in to bat in Day 1 itself and secured 16 runs at the loss of one wicket at Stumps on Day 1. At the MCA Stadium in Pune, Team India’s spinners displayed flair, especially R Ashwin and Washington Sundar led the charge to take out the NZ batters to secure a chaseable target of 259. Sundar was a trailblazer for Team India after he picked up his maiden fifer and went on to secure seven wickets. Ashwin scalped the first three wickets while Sundar took care of the rest. Devon Conway (76) and the in-form Rachin Ravindra (65) were the top scorers for the tourists.
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India at 16/1 After Ashwin & Washington Sundar’s Brilliant Bowling Spell vs NZ In Pune Test Day 1
Washington Sundar, playing his first Test for India since March 2021, ripped through New Zealand after Ashwin took the first three wickets of the innings to surpass his Australian counterpart Nathan Lyon in the list of Test wicket-takers. While he struggled at first as New Zealand batters sought to consolidate, Washington’s perseverance paid off handsomely. He swung the momentum in India’s favour by taking two late wickets in the second session, including the in-form Rachin Ravindra, as New Zealand collapsed to 201/5 at tea.
While batting, Team India suffered an early blow after Rohit Sharma was dismissed at a nine-ball duck as Tim Southee delivering an absolute Jaffa to dismiss the skipper of the Indian Cricket Team. Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill were manning the the crease at stumps as the hosts trailed by 243 runs.
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Rohit, who had been clean bowled for the third time in the series and for the second time by Southee, was squared up as he attempted to defend in the line of the delivery, but the ball moved away to beat his outside edge and crash into the off stump. Southee became the first fast bowler to take a wicket in this Test, following a dominant performance by India’s spin duo of Sundar and R Ashwin, who did not allow New Zealand to break free.Ravindra’s dismissal near the tea break proved decisive, as New Zealand could never recover from the blow and collapsed in the final session with little resistance.
