India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir stood up and applauded all-rounder Washington Sundar after his brilliant spell. Sundar picked up 7 wickets in the first innings which helped India bundle out the Kiwis for 259 runs.
Washington Sundar was added to the Indian squad after India’s 8-wicket defeat in the first test at Bengaluru. Skipper Rohit Sharma and the team management had to face a lot of heat for underbowling Ravichandran Ashwin on the 5th day. After all this Sundar’s inclusion in the squad was a hot-topic for the fans and the experts.
Sundar’s addition to the squad also raised a lot of questions as India already had four spinners in the squad. Fans, experts and many ex-cricketers also criticized the team management for this decision.
Before this game, Sundar had last played a test back in 2021 when England toured India. He had 6 wickets in 4 tests and has scored 265 runs in 6 innings at an average of 66.25 including three fifties to his name.
Amidst all this criticism and backlash, India included Washington Sundar in the playing XI for the second test. And he didn’t disappoint, it proved to be a masterstroke. He picked up 7 wickets in the first innings when the Kiwis were looking set for a big score.
Washington Sundar gets a standing ovation from coach Gautam Gambhir
After the first innings when Sundar was coming back to the dugout, coach Gautam Gambhir stood up and was seen clapping for the all-rounder in the dugout. He looked quite chuffed with his performance and had a smile on his face. Jasprit Bumrah gave a pat on his head and he hugged Ravichandran Ashwin afterwards.
He then got congratulated by fielding coach R Sridhar, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel as he entered the dugout. Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar also shook hands with him.
It was a great scene as the whole support staff and the players were quite happy for him. Gautam Gambhir kept clapping for the all-rounder this whole time. His brilliant performance shuts down all the criticism. Skipper Rohit Sharma, coach Gautam Gambhir and the whole team management were facing from the fans and the experts.
Sundar scored 18* runs in India’s first innings. He scored two fours and a six which helped the hosts to go past 150 runs in their first innings. He has picked up 4 wickets in the second innings as well completing a 10-for in the match.
As of now, New Zealand has the upper with a 301-run lead and with 5 wickets in hand. The Indian bowlers will have to quickly wrap things up on the 3rd day.
