The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune presented a surprising challenge to New Zealand on the opening day of the second Test against India. While the visitors expected a pitch conducive to spin, it didn’t turn as much as anticipated, leaving the Kiwi batsmen slightly off-guard.
New Zealand’s batting coach, Luke Ronchi, admitted that the team had underestimated the pitch’s behavior. “Both teams could quite easily say at the start of the day, they thought this wicket would turn more than it has so far,” Ronchi said after the day’s play. Despite winning the toss and electing to bat, New Zealand found themselves facing a tricky surface with the ball bouncing unpredictably.
“We saw some balls today really jumped off a length and then some stayed a little bit, they just skidded through a little bit,” Ronchi explained. “It’s going to be a surface where maybe as the game goes on you’re not going to feel like you’re actually in.”
Despite Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra reaching half-centuries, New Zealand fell short of the 300-run mark. The credit for this performance largely goes to Washington Sundar, who delivered an impressive seven-wicket haul, further solidifying his return to the Indian Test side.
Ronchi, a former international cricketer himself, lauded Washington for his composure and consistency. “It was just this consistency of being able to hit a good area for long periods of time. There were some balls that went really wide in the crease,” Ronchi said. “He got some good drift and the ball that got Rachin (out) was from really wide and straight and hit (the off-stump). That’s a really nice ball to bowl for anyone…”
With four days remaining and the Test series hanging in the balance, New Zealand will need to adapt their strategy. They will aim to emulate the success of the Indian spinners and counter the challenging pitch conditions to secure a much-needed victory and avoid another series defeat in India.