Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra scored half-centuries before India’s offspinners took complete charge

Sidharth Monga24-Oct-20241:56

Manjrekar: Small sample but Washington shows promise as Ashwin’s successor

India 16 for 1 (Southee 1-4) trail New Zealand 259 (Conway 76, Ravindra 65, Washington 7-59, Ashwin 3-64) by 243 runsThree days ago, Washington Sundar was not even part of this Test squad, instead scoring a hundred and taking a couple of three-fors against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Brought in the XI ahead of the incumbent spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) and the back-up (Axar Patel) in the squad, he took seven wickets on the first day of a Test to bowl New Zealand out for 259. Five of his victims were bowled, one lbw and one caught as he took out the last seven wickets following three taken by Tamil Nadu team-mate R Ashwin.While this was Washington’s maiden Test five-for and his best figures in first-class cricket, the three wickets took Ashwin past Nathan Lyon’s 530 in 25 fewer Tests. The two could be involved in a showdown later in the year in Australia, but right now India were in a fight to defend their 18-series winning streak at home. Washington proved to be just the ally he needed.R Ashwin didn’t take much time to get among the wickets•BCCIIndia called up a second offspinner from outside the squad ostensibly to lengthen their batting without compromising on taking the ball away from left-hand batters, but two left-hand batters in the top order – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – still scored fifties and threatened to take New Zealand to a big total after winning the toss on a track on which batting last won’t be fun. New Zealand were 138 for 2 when Ashwin got Conway, and 197 for 3 when Washington accounted for Ravindra.As the series moved from Bengaluru to Pune, the clouds, seam and extra bounce all disappeared. There was no concept of good-toss-to-lose here. Nothing is ever easy in Test cricket, but this was one of the easier starts to an innings with the openers racing to 30 in seven overs without any trouble. But Ashwin was introduced early, and it took him just five balls to drift one in and then turn it past the outside edge to trap Tom Latham lbw.There was turn from the good part of the pitch, but not consistent. The partnership between Conway and Will Young looked threatening, but a sharp review demanded by short leg Sarfaraz Khan returned a faint touch of the glove to send Young back. Now Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja kept troubling the batters: in the 11 overs they bowled in tandem, they drew 24 false shots and conceded just 30 runs.Rachin Ravindra got to yet another milestone in his fledgling Test career•BCCIPost-lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington, runs came freely: 35 off the eight overs. Ashwin brought control first and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball turned, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the turn made him look like pushing at a ball he didn’t need to play.Ravindra, Player of the Match in Bengaluru, brought New Zealand much-needed solidity because Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an lbw on umpire’s call, played risky sweeps of both kinds, and only looked comfortable after 20 balls or so. Ravindra, though, gave the bowlers nothing. Akash Deep got close to getting him with at short midwicket but the hit was too ferocious to catch for a fielder so close. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat slip and brought up his fifty.Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington began to get it right. The first ball of this spell turned from middle and off to go past Ravindra’s bat and hit the top of off. Things began to happen now as balls went straight on or turned from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea beat Tom Blundell’s outside edge, and the last one, slower and wider, turned back in through the gate to take top of middle.Tom Blundell was bowled by Washington Sundar on the stroke of tea•BCCIPost-tea, Washington bowled in all his glory: at the stumps, but getting variable turn from the pitch. An inspired review accounted for Mitchell in a rare dismissal: offspinner getting an lbw from over the wicket when the batter is forward. As it turned out, this had turned just the right amount to both be hitting him in line and taking the leg stump.Tied down, frequently going back to full balls, Glenn Phillips ended his struggle of 9 off 31 with a chip straight to deep mid-off. Had you seen just the shot and not the field, you wouldn’t have been wrong to assume the mid-off was up tight and he was just looking to clear him.Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his fighting 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. To Tim Southee he went wide on the crease from around the wicket. The angle beat the outside edge and hit top of off. Ajaz Patel was caught back to a full ball, and played on. To bookend his work, Washington produced another beauty to account for the set batter, Santner: one that pitched on middle and off and took the top of off.The accuracy and variations of pace and seam position, with a little help from the pitch, proved to be too good for New Zealand.With just 10-odd overs to bat to stumps, India shelved some of their ultra-aggressive approach from their last two Tests. Still, Southee swung and seamed one past Rohit Sharma’s watchful bat to take top of off. A small bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.