Sundar's 7-wicket haul shines as India lose Rohit early against New Zealand

Washington Sundar's career-best performance of 7 for 59 helped India bowl out New Zealand for 259, but India lost their captain Rohit Sharma early on in their first innings, with stumps drawn on 24 October in the second Test.

At close, India were 16 for 1 in 11 overs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill at the crease, trailing New Zealand by 243 runs.

Tim Southee delivered a crucial blow by dismissing Rohit for a nine-ball duck. This was the third time Rohit had been bowled in the series and the second time by Southee. Trying to defend on the line of the delivery, Rohit was beaten by movement that took the ball past his outside edge, crashing into the off-stump. With the memory of their first innings collapse in Bengaluru fresh in their minds, India adopted a cautious approach.

Southee's breakthrough marked the first wicket for a fast bowler in the match, following a dominant performance from India's spinners. Sundar, returning to the Test side for the first time since March 2021, and R Ashwin (3 for 64) played key roles in restricting New Zealand, who struggled to gain momentum against the duo.

Ashwin made an early impact, trapping New Zealand captain Tom Latham for 15 and later dismissing Will Young for 18, both before lunch. These wickets took Ashwin past Australia's Nathan Lyon on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers.

The day, however, belonged to Sundar. The 25-year-old all-rounder started cautiously as New Zealand looked to consolidate, but he was richly rewarded for his persistence, claiming two crucial wickets before tea, including the in-form Rachin Ravindra, as the visitors were reduced to 201 for 5 at the interval.

Ravindra's dismissal proved pivotal, as New Zealand never recovered and were bowled out with little resistance in the final session. The young batter, who had impressed with scores of 134 and 39 not out in New Zealand's win in the first Test, was undone by Sundar's skill. Sundar pitched the ball perfectly, getting it to spin away from Ravindra's bat to crash into the off-stump. Ravindra's dismissal left New Zealand reeling, unable to rebuild after the break.

Sundar's exceptional seven-wicket haul included five batsmen bowled, one trapped lbw, and another caught by Ashwin. His victims included Rachin Ravindra, Tom Blundell (3), Mitchell Santner (33), Tim Southee (5), and Ajaz Patel (4).

Earlier in the innings, Devon Conway had been the standout performer for New Zealand, scoring 76 from 141 balls, including 11 fours. His innings featured a mixture of reverse sweeps against the spinners and drives against India's pacers. However, Conway fell to Ashwin, edging an innocuous delivery outside off-stump to be caught behind. It was a frustrating end for the New Zealand opener, who missed out on what seemed like another century opportunity.

New Zealand's struggles continued, with their captain Latham and all-rounder Daryl Mitchell failing to make significant contributions despite spending ample time at the crease. Their struggles compounded the woes of the visitors, who were heavily reliant on Ravindra and Conway to set a competitive total.

With India trailing by 243 runs and their captain already back in the pavilion, the second day promises to be a key moment in the contest, with Sundar's heroics ensuring the hosts have an opportunity to take control if their batsmen can recover from an early setback.