2nd Test Day 1: India 16/1 at Stumps, Rohit out for nought; New Zealand 259 all out
Pune, Oct 24: All-rounder Washington Sundar justified his selection with a career-best 7/59 to help India bowl out New Zealand for 259, but the hosts lost skipper Rohit Sharma early in their first innings when stumps were drawn on day of the second Test, here on Thursday.
India crawled to 16 for one in 11 overs with Yashasvi Jaiswal (6 not out) and Shubman Gill (10 not out) at the crease, trailing by another 243 runs in the first innings.
Tim Southee cleaned up Rohit for a nine-ball duck, forcing the hosts to be extra cautious with the debacle of first innings in the Bengaluru Test still fresh in the mind.
Rohit, who was cleaned up for the third time in the series and for the second time by Southee, was squared up as he looked to defend in the line of the delivery but the ball moved away to beat his outside edge and crash into the off-stump.
Southee thus became the first among fast bowlers to take a wicket in this Test after a dominating show by the Indian spin duo of Sundar and R Ashwin (3/64), who did not allow New Zealand to break free.
The 25-year-old Sundar, playing his first Test for India since March, 2021, ran through New Zealand after Ashwin claimed the first three wickets in the innings to move past his Australian peer Nathan Lyon in the list of highest wicket-takers in Tests.
Ashwin began by trapping New Zealand captain Tom Latham (15) in front of the wickets and getting Will Young (18) caught behind in the first session, while Sundar took the centrestage towards the end of the second.
While he was measly to begin with as New Zealand batters looked to consolidate, Sundar reaped rich dividends for his perseverance.
He swung the momentum in India's favour with two late wickets in the second session, including the in-form Rachin Ravindra, as New Zealand stumbled to 201/5 at tea.
Ravindra's dismissal close to the tea break proved instrumental as New Zealand could never recover from the blow and folded in the final session without much resistance.
The young batter looked primed for another big knock but Sundar's brilliance stopped him in his tracks.
Of his seven dismissals in an outstanding spell on a day one wicket, Sundar showed mastery in hitting the off-stump to snare five of his victims bowled, one pinned in front of the wickets while the other caught by fellow tweaker Ashwin.
Among those who were cleaned up by the Indian spinner were Ravindra, Tom Blundell (3), Mitchell Santner (33), Tim Southee (5) and Ajaz Patel (4).
The highlight, however, was the manner in which he cleaned up the in-form Ravindra, who looked good after his efforts of 134 and 39 not out in New Zealand's eight-wicket win in the opening Test.
Sundar pitched the ball just perfectly to have it spinning away from Ravindra's bat and crash into the off-stump, beating the in-form batter fair and square who had otherwise struck a perfect balance in attack and defence.
At the top, Conway managed 76 from 141 balls with 11 fours but he was among Ashwin's three wickets at the top.
The Kiwis' opener used his reverse sweeps against the spinners and drives down the wicket against the Indian pacers to good effect to accumulate his runs, but he had only himself to blame for missing out on scoring a century again.
On an innocuous delivery outside off, Conway went for a stroke but got an edge to be caught behind off Ashwin.
New Zealand's woes compounded when off-colour batters in skipper Latham and Mitchell continued to struggle for runs despite spending considerable time in the middle.
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Manipur Guv urges people to reaffirm commitment to peace, harmony on New Year
Imphal (PTI): Extending New Year greetings, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla called upon people to reaffirm their commitment to peace, harmony, and mutual respect.
Bhalla urged people to work together to foster lasting peace and stability in the state.
"I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to the people of Manipur on the joyous occasion of New Year's Day, 2026. As we step into 2026, let us collectively reaffirm our commitment to peace, harmony, and mutual respect," he said in a statement on New Year's Eve.
"Let this be a year in which we strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among all communities, uphold the values of unity in diversity, and work together to foster lasting peace and stability in the State," he said.
Bhalla said he was hopeful that 2026 would usher in greater understanding, prosperity, and well-being for all.
"May the spirit of cooperation and compassion guide us towards building a peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Manipur," he said.
Manipur has been under the President's Rule since February 2025, with BJP leader N Biren Singh resigning as the chief minister amid criticism of his government's handling of the ethnic clashes that left over 260 people dead and thousands homeless.
Singh also extended New Year greetings, stating that he was confident 2026 would bring new opportunities, renewed trust, and steady progress for Manipur.
"May the coming year bring peace, good health, and prosperity to every household. Let us move forward together with renewed hope and unity," he said in a post on X.
State Congress president K Meghachandra Singh said he was hopeful that the New Year would bring peace, healing and justice to every family, restore trust and harmony among communities, and renew collective commitment to democracy, humanity and the rule of law.
"As we welcome the New Year, our thoughts are with the people of Manipur, who have endured a year of pain, uncertainty and loss. Yet, even in the darkest times, the spirit of Manipur has remained unbroken, resilient, compassionate and united in hope," he said in a post on X.
"Let this year be one of reconciliation, dignity and lasting peace, where every voice is heard, and every life is valued. Wishing all the people of Manipur a New Year filled with hope, strength and a shared future of peace," he added.
The Governor of Manipur extends warm greetings to the people of the State on the arrival of the New Year 2026, and conveys his best wishes for a year marked by peace, harmony, good health, and prosperity.#newyear2026 #LokBhavanImphal #GovernorOfManipur pic.twitter.com/G2er7hXYJp
— LOK BHAVAN, MANIPUR (@LokBhavManipur) December 31, 2025
