Records Shattered from Pune to Rawalpindi

The opening days of the India-New Zealand Test at Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) stadium and the third Pakistan-England Test at Rawalpindi have been marked by spin dominance, setting new records and milestones "from Pindi to Pune." In Pune, India opted for a trio of spinners—Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin—on a pitch crafted for spin, all of whom also bring batting strength when needed.

Washington’s return, his first Test in over three years since his heroic performance in Brisbane, raised eyebrows. Many questioned his selection over the experienced Kuldeep Yadav, a choice driven by Ashwin and Jadeja’s dual role as strong batters. With New Zealand well set at 197/3 and Rachin Ravindra approaching a century, only Ashwin had made a minor impact. But Washington silenced critics by demolishing the lineup, taking seven wickets and sparking a Kiwi collapse from 197/3 to 259 all out, achieving his career-best figures and maiden Test fifer. His and Ashwin’s combined efforts led to all ten Kiwi wickets falling to spin—only the sixth time in Indian Test history that spinners claimed all wickets on the first day.

Washington bowled out five batsmen, joining legendary spinners like Anil Kumble and Bapu Nadkarni with the most "bowled" dismissals in a single innings in India. His figures also ranked third-best for an Indian against New Zealand. Meanwhile, Ashwin achieved personal milestones, surpassing Nathan Lyon as the leading wicket-taker in ICC World Test Championship history with 189 wickets in 39 matches, overtaking Lyon’s 187 in 43 matches, and also edging past Lyon to become Test cricket's seventh-highest wicket-taker.

Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, England encountered an entirely different challenge as the pitch spun from the start. Despite scoring over 500 runs in one day at the same venue in 2022, they crumbled from 70/1 to 118/6, losing key players like Ollie Pope and Joe Root in quick succession. Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson counter-attacked, guiding England to 267. In a rare event, all 68.2 overs were bowled by spinners, marking the first time in 142 years that no pace bowlers were used in a Test innings—a record dating back to 1882 in Sydney.

Sajid Khan stood out with 6/128, securing the third-best spin figures at Rawalpindi. Teammates Noman Ali and Zahid Mahmood supported him with solid performances, marking the sixth time Pakistan’s spinners took all ten wickets in a Test innings’ first session, and the fourth instance against England. By the end of the day, Pakistan faced a tough position at 73/3, with England’s spinners Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed taking key wickets.