Washington Sundar Shines in Pune Test Against New Zealand
In Pune, India, Washington Sundar made a remarkable return to Test cricket, showcasing his bowling skills against New Zealand. Despite the presence of seasoned players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Sundar stole the spotlight with his impressive performance. In the first innings, he took 7 wickets for 59 runs, helping India counter New Zealand’s aggressive play. In the second innings, he continued his form with 4 wickets for 56 runs, boosting India’s chances of winning the second Test.
Sundar’s total of 11 wickets for 115 runs ranks as the fourth-best match figures for India against New Zealand. The best remains Ashwin’s 13 wickets for 140 runs in Indore in 2016. Sundar’s efforts restricted New Zealand to 255 runs, setting a challenging target of 359 for India to chase with over two days remaining.
Historically, India has only chased down a 300-plus total once, back in 2008 against England in Chennai. In this match, India lost captain Rohit Sharma early, but Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill kept the momentum going. Jaiswal’s aggressive batting, including a towering six, and Gill’s strategic use of the sweep shot, have kept India’s hopes alive of leveling the series.
Doubts Revealed
Washington Sundar -: Washington Sundar is an Indian cricketer who plays for the Indian national team. He is known for his all-round abilities, meaning he can both bat and bowl well.
Pune Test -: The Pune Test refers to a cricket match played in Pune, a city in India. Test matches are a format of cricket that can last up to five days.
New Zealand -: New Zealand is a country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. In cricket, they have a national team that competes internationally, including against India.
Ashwin and Jadeja -: Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are both famous Indian cricketers known for their excellent bowling skills. They are often key players in India’s cricket team.
359 target -: In cricket, a target is the number of runs a team needs to score to win the match. In this case, India needed to score 359 runs to win against New Zealand.
300-plus total -: A 300-plus total in cricket means scoring more than 300 runs. It is considered a challenging target to chase in Test cricket.
Rohit Sharma -: Rohit Sharma is an Indian cricketer and the captain of the Indian cricket team. He is known for his powerful batting.
Yashasvi Jaiswal -: Yashasvi Jaiswal is a young Indian cricketer known for his batting skills. He is considered a promising talent for the future of Indian cricket.
Shubman Gill -: Shubman Gill is an Indian cricketer who plays as a batsman. He is known for his stylish batting and is considered one of the future stars of Indian cricket.
Level the series -: To level the series in cricket means to make the score equal between two teams in a series of matches. If one team wins a match, the other team tries to win the next to even the score.