India vs New Zealand second Test | Middle-order spot and Pune track the talks of the town

Pune gears up for the third Test match as India faces New Zealand, with selection dilemmas and high expectations.

“We will be closed from 1pm to 4pm!”

It’s a plaque that most shops – even now – proudly display in the old city. The erstwhile pensioner’s paradise may have evolved into a student city and an IT hub but the good old joke about Punekars still draws a wide smile on everyone’s face.

As Rohit Sharma’s men drive down almost 30km from the eastern end of the city to the Maharashtra Cricket Association’s Stadium on the outskirts over the next five days, they will know - let alone the afternoon nap – that they will have to be on their toes for every single ball to keep the series alive.

Being bowled out for a historic low and bouncing back to win the series is a script India is familiar with, even away from home. But losing the opener and still maintaining its enviable series record at home is even more familiar in the recent past.

Thrice in the last seven years has India lost the series-opener and yet ended up lifting the trophy. With the core of all three previous instances – against Australia in 2017 and versus England in 2021 and 2024 – India will be wary, but not overtly concerned or defensive, going into the crunch game.

Besides misreading the conditions, India’s combination in Bengaluru also raised eyebrows. It resulted in Washington Sundar – who is in excellent form in the Ranji Trophy – being SOSed for the Pune fixture. Considering the fact that New Zealand has four specialist left-hand batters, India might be tempted to field Washington in place of Kuldeep Yadav.

Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir will also have to mull over whether to replace Mohammed Siraj with Akash Deep as Jasprit Bumrah’s new-ball partner.