Washington Sundar delivered a stunning performance in the first Test between India and New Zealand, taking a career-best 7/59 as he spun New Zealand out for 259 on the opening day. The all-rounder, whose inclusion had been a major talking point, more than justified his selection with a brilliant display of spin bowling, turning the game on its head and putting India in control.
India made three changes for the match, bringing in Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill, and Akash Deep in place of Kuldeep Yadav, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj. Sundar made his Test debut in the historic Gabba Test in January 2021 but has since played only five Test matches. With Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Axar Patel dominating the spin department, Sundar has spent much of his time on the bench.
New Zealand started strongly, with Devon Conway (63) and Rachin Ravindra (56) anchoring the innings and pushing the Kiwis to a comfortable 197/3. At that stage, a total exceeding 300 looked likely for the visitors. However, Sundar’s introduction just before tea completely changed the complexion of the match.
He broke the well-set partnership by clean-bowling Ravindra with a magnificent delivery that dipped and spun sharply. From there, New Zealand’s innings unraveled. Sundar’s consistent line and clever variations caused havoc among the Kiwi batters, leading to a collapse that saw them lose seven wickets for just 62 runs.
In a historic moment for Indian cricket, all 10 of New Zealand’s wickets were claimed by right-arm off-spinners. R. Ashwin set the tone early by dismissing Tom Latham, while Sundar finished the job in style. Sundar’s haul marked his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and his first in first-class cricket since August 2022. It was also his first five-fer on Indian soil since 2017, underlining the significance of the performance.
