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Following Washington Sundar's exceptional performance on Day 1 of the Pune Test against New Zealand, his sister M S Shailaja heaped praise on the off-spinner's bowling on his return to the longest format of the game after a long gap of 3.5 years.
Washington Sundar displayed a stupendous performance on the first day and led the Indian bowling attack. He picked up seven wickets in his 24-over spell at an economy rate of 2.50. "It was lovely to watch him play the way he played today and it was indeed a very proud moment for us as a family. To watch him the way he played and took the wickets was phenomenal. He is been doing a great job and we are very happy and proud of him for the way he made his comeback in Tests after 3.5 years. What he did today was top-class," Shailaja said while speaking to ANI. Further, she opened up about the support she got from Sundar during her cricketing journey so far. "We both have been playing cricket since childhood. I know the way how he has grown up. During childhood, we have discussed cricket a lot on and off the field as well as at home. He has been supporting me and has been there for me every time when I needed him during my cricketing career so far. He helped me a lot in terms of cricket as well as in the mental aspects of the game especially when things are not going in my way. He's always been supportive throughout my journey," Shailaja added. M S Shailaja, a professional cricketer who has played across all formats of the game in domestic cricket, started her journey into the game of cricket at around 6 years of age. She has had a long career since her debut for the Tamil Nadu state team way back in 2003, at just 11 years old. She has since then played across various age categories and currently represents the Pondicherry Senior team. She is a multi-faceted personality, having found her way into the other side of the game as well. She has donned the roles of Expert Analyst and Sports Presenter and recently added a new feather to her cap as an Expert Commentator. She was a part of the JioCinema Tamil Commentary Panel as an Expert for Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024. Coming to the Day 1 of the Pune Test, after winning the toss, New Zealand decided to bat against India in the second Test in Pune. New Zealand were bowled out for 259 in the first innings on day one following Washington Sundar's seven-wicket haul. Devon Conway (76 runs from 141 balls, 11 fours) and Rachin Ravindra (65 runs from 105 balls, 5 fours and 1 six) were the star performers for the Kiwis as they took the visitors to 259 in the first inning. Sundar's scalps included the in-form Rachin Ravindra who had played a key role in New Zealand's win in the first encounter, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee and Ajaz Patel. Sundar was drafted into India's squad for the remaining two Tests against the Blackcaps on the back of his stunning performance in the Ranji game against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Apart from Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin bagged three wickets and bundled out New Zealand on day one itself. India had a sloppy start to their first inning as Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the third over. Tim Southee bowled out the India skipper's wicket. At Stumps on Day 1, India are 16/1 with Shubman Gill (10*) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (6*) unbeaten on the crease. After Day 1, India trailed by 243 runs. (ANI)
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