Sundar's Twin Strikes Check New Zealand's Steady Start
Sundar, however, displayed exceptional control and used his drift to cause issues. He clean-bowled Latham with a delivery that turned just enough to beat the batter's defensive stroke. Shortly after, he bowled a similar delivery to remove Ravindra, who was caught off-guard by the slight turn off the pitch.
Washington Sundar's tight spell (2-26) helped India balance the scales against New Zealand on the first morning of the third Test in Mumbai. After opting to bat, New Zealand suffered an early setback with Devon Conway's dismissal, but a steady 44-run partnership between Tom Latham (28) and Will Young (38*) helped them regain stability. However, Sundar's entry shifted the momentum as he troubled both batters from the outset, eventually dismissing Latham and Rachin Ravindra in quick succession.
Without Jasprit Bumrah, who was sidelined due to illness, India's new-ball duties fell to Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. The latter was more effective early on, claiming Conway LBW within the first half-hour. Despite the limited seam movement due to a lack of moisture on the pitch, Latham and Young looked settled against Ravichandran Ashwin, who initially didn’t pose many challenges.
Sundar, however, displayed exceptional control and used his drift to cause issues. He clean-bowled Latham with a delivery that turned just enough to beat the batter's defensive stroke. Shortly after, he bowled a similar delivery to remove Ravindra, who was caught off-guard by the slight turn off the pitch.
As the session progressed, conditions began to favor the spinners, with Ravindra Jadeja managing to turn a few deliveries sharply. New Zealand’s batters might face a challenging second session as India’s spin attack looks to exploit the evolving pitch.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 92/3 (Will Young 38*; Washington Sundar 2-26) vs India.
