Washington Sundar etched his name in the record books with a sensational seven-wicket haul in the second Test against New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. This was not only his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket but also his first in any first-class cricket match since August 2022.
India added Sundar in the squad for the second and third test against New Zealand. Gautam Gambhir explained the reason to pick Sundar for two test matches is to counter the left handers in New Zealand’s batting lineup. Sundar took the opportunity from both hands and picked up seven wickets in the first inning of the second test in Pune.
Washington Sundar’s impressive performance against New Zealand places him among the best bowlers for India in Test history. Sundar bowled five batters in his seven-wicket haul which is joint highest dismissing most batters bowled in an innings for India after the likes of Anil Kumble and Ravindra Jadeja. With figures of 7/59, he placed himself in the list of Best figures for India vs NZ in Tests.
Best Figures for India vs NZ in Tests
| Bowler | Figures | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. Venkatraghavan | 8/72 | New Zealand | Delhi | 1965 |
| EAS Prasanna | 8/76 | New Zealand | Auckland | 1975 |
| R. Ashwin | 7/59 | Australia | Indore | 2017 |
| Washington Sundar | 7/59 | New Zealand | Pune | 2024 |
Among the batters he dismissed were Rachin Ravindra, who scored 65 runs off 105 balls, and Daryl Mitchell, who managed only 18 runs off 54 balls. Sundar also sent Tom Blundell packing for just 3 runs, Glenn Phillips for 9 to dismantle the batting lineup of New Zealand. Apart from the complete batters, Sunder bowled Tim Southee for 5, Ajaz Patel for 4. Set batter Mitchell Santner became the seventh player Washington Sundar dismissed.
Apart from Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin took the remaining three wickets for India on the first day of second Test which is the sixth time spinners took all ten 1st innings wickets on day 1 of a Test in India.
