Rohit Sharma's plan to unleash Chennai star vs Bengaluru hero successful as Washington Sundar rattles Rachin Ravindra

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Washington Sundar justified his selection ahead of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, and proved captain Rohit Sharma's decision as the Chennai-born off-spinner cleaned the stumps of in-form New Zealand batter just ahead the Tea on Day 1 of the second Test against at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

India were looking in trouble as Rachin Ravindra, who smashed a match-winning hundred in Bengaluru, gave the hosts another scare with his fourth Test fifty. India laid out all sorts of plans against him but the 24-year-old stood tall and kept haunting India.

It was then that Rohit Sharma introduced Washington Sundar to bowl a couple of overs ahead of the tea break. The 25-year-old had earlier bowled 13 overs without any success.

However, the Chennai-born off-spinner struck on the first ball of his spell before tea by bowling a dream delivery. Rachin Ravindra, who was batting on 65 off 104 balls, leaned forward to defend the delivery he thought would go straight, but it changed its past by a whisker and cleaned the off-stump.

Rachin Ravindra was in a state of shock as Washington Sundar and India celebrated delightfully. The wicket also gave India the much-needed breakthrough as the budding third wicket partnership for 59 runs off 95 balls was broken.

Washington Sundar, who was added in the India squad after the eight-wicket defeat in Bengaluru, then clean bowled Tom Blundell (3 off 12) on the final delivery of his following over as the tea break was taken with New Zealand scorecard reading - 201/5 in 62 overs.

This time the flighted delivery outside off and turned sharply to go through the gap between the bat and pad of Blundell, who was trying to flick the delivery on the on side.

Washington Sundar struck again in the second over after the tea to push New Zealand further on the back foot, and never looked back thereafter. He picked all the remaining four wickets to finish with figures of 7/59 as New Zealand were bundled out for 259.

Earlier in the day, questions were raised on Washington Sundar's inclusion in the India playing eleven ahead of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. Sunil Gavaskar reckoned that India pressed the panic button, while Anil Kumble also sympathised with Kuldeep and expressed surprise that Washington Sundar was inducted in the eleven straight after being picked in the squad a couple of days ahead of the Test.