An annan-thambi combo seems to have got India back in business in the Test series against New Zealand. Off spinners Washington Sundar and his Tamil Nadu senior Ravichandran Ashwin bagged all wickets, with the youngster bagging a career-best of 7/59 as New Zealand were bundled out for 259.
India made a shaky start in response, losing skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck. Shubman Gill (10) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (6) were at the crease as India ended Day one at 16/1.
After losing the first Test in Bengaluru on a track that helped pace bowlers, India had hoped to capitalise on spin-friendly surface in Pune and they did just that after losing the toss. Sundar bowled with guile and control to steal the show while Ashwin claimed 3/64. For the visitors, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra made 76 and 65 respectively. The visitors were 201/5 at tea.
During the Bengaluru Test, it had baffled many to see Ashwin turn up as a fifth bowler in the fourth innings as New Zealand chased down a little over 100 runs to beat India. His poor showing in the first innings, where he managed just one wicket and bowled at an economy of nearly 6, didn't help his cause either.
Things changed in Pune, where on a rank turner, Rohit Sharma's most lethal spin weapon got into act from the off and made the difference. Ashwin bagged the wickets of Tom Latham, Will Young and Devon Conway. Latham had opted to bat, but it turned out to be the wrong decision, at least for him personally, when he faced Ashwin's first over that came at the first instance of a bowling change at the end of over 7.
Ashwin forced the Kiwi skipper to play across a line, but it turned away and found the left-hander trapped leg before. His second wicket needed some convincing from Sarfaraz at short leg, who seemed to have heard Young nick it, again playing across to one floated down leg. Rohit reviewed it, and the 'caught behind' was approved. In his first spell itself, Ashwin made himself useful to India's cause after an average display in the first Test.
Once Ashwin had laid the foundation, his understudy walked in and literally rattled the Kiwis' resistance as five of his seven dismissals were bowled. By getting rid of dangerman Ravindra, he validated his skipper's call to play him instead of Kuldeep Yadav. A quick one went through Ravindra's defence. Blundell was bowled by one that spun in while Daryl Mitchell learnt it the hard way that one could get trapped leg before to an offie bowling over the wicket if the turn is just perfect.
Brief scores: New Zealand 259 in 79.1 overs (Devon Conway 76, Rachin Ravindra 65, Mitchell Santner 33, Washington Sundar 7/59, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/64) vs India 16/1 in 11 overs as stumps Day 1