In Pune, Washington is present at 7/59

Pune: After winning the toss, New Zealand had fought well in the first two sessions to reach the first day of the second Test against India. To the trained eye, however, the scoreboard at this point belied the true nature of the field. Bare and tailor-made for the spinners, the numbers looked too good for the batting line-up.

On such routes, one wicket can often lead to several. The experts knew that it was only a matter of time before things would develop rapidly.

But all eyes were on senior pros R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who made sure something happened. Washington Sundar, the third spinner in the attack, was expected to dry up the runs and allow the experienced duo to attack from the other side.

As Ashwin took the first three wickets, it seemed like he had put Bengaluru's sluggishness behind him. But although he bowled well, it was another underdog who stole the show.

The game went as expected, the wickets fell in a group, New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for just 62 runs, but the hero of the day was a man who wasn't even in the original squad for the series. The Kiwis simply didn't see Washington coming. Maybe no one except the team management did that.

The young all-rounder's first 13 overs were flat and tidy, but there wasn't much more to say. With Rachin Ravindra, India's tormentor in the first Test, well established on 65, captain Rohit Sharma decided to give Washington the lead from the Pavilion End.

It was a game-changing decision. On the first ball after the change, the New Zealand left-hander got behind the line and offered forward defence, but the ball drifted in and turned just enough to skid past the blade and hit the off-stump. Like magic.

“In any case, to be honest, it was a dream ball. I just wanted to continue to hit the right areas today because we expected there would be something to offer (for the spinners). That was the only thought that crossed my mind, and of course these things mean a lot when they happen. It’s magical,” Washington said after his most rewarding day in bowling.

It was the beginning of the end of the New Zealand innings. He picked up another six wickets in an unchanged period of 10.1 overs to progress through the tourists' line-up. From 197/3, New Zealand collapsed to a total of 259. His third spell was an incredible 10.1-1-28-7. As if to illustrate his strengths, five of Washington's victims were thrown, one pounded and one caught.

If the New Zealand team had not beaten India in Bengaluru, Washington would have been preparing for Tamil Nadu's next Ranji Trophy game against Chhattisgarh. Calling him into the squad was a brilliant decision. The all-rounder confirmed the faith with a seven-wicket haul, his best figures in first-class cricket, matching Ashwin's 7/59. For the first time in Indian Test history, all 10 wickets were claimed by off-spinners.

The all-rounder talked about how special the last four days were for him: “Everything that happened today was pleasing. From the start, being able to play this game, making a comeback in the Test team, playing in the eleven. There are many things I can say that mean a lot to me and are very special. I am really grateful for this day. I don't think I will ever forget that day but yes, it was a great opportunity for me to play the Tamil Nadu-Delhi (Ranji Trophy) match. It's good to play red-ball every now and then and always find the rhythm in red-ball, both with the bat and the ball, stick with it and be consistent with it. And I think the fact that I was able to bowl a lot of overs in that game definitely helped.”

Washington had last played a Test for India in March 2021, but two days before the game, the team management informed him that he would be in the starting XI. It was the confidence boost the young man from Tamil Nadu needed.

Speaking about the adjustment during his third outing, Washington said: “The ball obviously got very soft. So we had to give the ball more speed and more body. This was something me and Ash (R Aswhin) talked about all the time. That's also how he got (Devon) Conway out. So we talked about it and were happy I could do it.”

By the time New Zealand's final wicket fell, dark clouds had already formed over the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium and India had to contend with a tricky 40-minute match. For the second time in the series, the New Zealand pacers now had favorable conditions to bowl. Tim Southee, who has made a career out of these conditions, delivered the perfect away swing to open India captain Rohit Sharma and hit the off-stump. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal survived the remaining overs as India were 16/1 at the end of stumps.