India vs New Zealand 2024/25, IND vs New Zealand 2nd Test Match Report, October 24-28, 2024

India 16 for 1 (Southee 1-4) Trail New Zealand 259 (Conway 76, Ravindra 65, Washington 7-59, Ashwin 3-64) for 243 runs

After lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington, runs came freely: 35 from eight overs. Ashwin first brought control and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball spun, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the spin made him look like he was running into a ball he didn't need to play.

Bengaluru man of the match Ravindra brought some much-needed stability to New Zealand as Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an LBW on the umpire's orders, played both types of risky sweeps and only seemed comfortable after about 20 balls. However, Ravindra gave nothing to the bowlers. Akash Deep almost caught him at short midwicket but the hit was too heavy for a fielder so close to catch. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat Slip and add to his fifty.

Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington started to get it right. The first ball of this spell spun outwards from middle, went past Ravindra's bat and hit the top of the off. Things now started to happen as the balls continued flying straight or spun from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea hit the outside edge of Tom Blundell and the final, slower and wider ball turned back through the gate and captured the top edge of middle.

After tea, Washington bowled in all his glory: at the stumps but with alternating turns off the pitch. An inspired review led to Mitchell receiving a rare dismissal: the offspinner was given an lbw from over the wicket when the batter was ahead. As it turned out, this was just the right amount to hit him and take him off leg stump at the same time.

Glenn Phillips was tied up and often returned to playing with full balls. He ended his 9/31 bout with a chip right into the deep middle of the game. If you had only seen the shot and not the field, you would not have been mistaken in assuming that the midfielder was close and he was just looking to clear it.

Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. For Tim Southee he went past the crease around the wicket. The angle hits the outside edge and hits from top to bottom. Ajaz Patel was brought back with the ball full and continued to play. To complete his work, Washington brought out another beauty to take charge of the set batter: Santner: one who threw in the middle and off and took off the top of.

The accuracy and variations in pace and seam position proved too good for New Zealand with a little help from the pitch.

With only about 10 overs to bat to beat stumps, India have abandoned some of their extremely aggressive approaches from the last two Tests. Nevertheless, Southee took a swing and shot a lead past Rohit Sharma's alert bat to win the ball. A little bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.