Four wickets in the first innings in Wellington and a five-for on day one here. After the first Test Kyle Jamieson had oozed confidence and belief. “I am going to make rapid strides,” he had said.
Firepower
Jamieson’s arrival on the scene has given the Kiwi pace attack more firepower. Here was someone tall who would push the batsmen back with his height and bounce and then pitch the ball up to have the batsmen caught at the crease.
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Or he could get the ball to seam away with bounce from a good length. It is this combination of movement and lift that makes Jamieson so difficult to negotiate.
After the day’s play, Jamieson spoke more about the team than himself. He said, “I think, the high point [of the day] was how good we were — to take those wickets, restrict the Indians, and being without loss at stumps was massive.”
The beanpole seamer added, “We were clear in our plans, bowled in partnerships. The ball moved around a bit.”
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Asked about the surface at the Hagley Oval, Jamieson said, “It probably doesn’t do as much as it does in Wellington. It is truer.”
Jamieson felt the Kiwis took wickets at critical moments. “The way Tim (Southee) bowled before and after lunch and the breakthrough (Neil) Wagner got before Tea were crucial.”
Queried on the Indian batting, Jamieson said, “They played more shots. The pitch allowed them to as well. They were playing shots off the short ball but looked a bit indecisive there.”
The paceman added, “The way the ball bounced at Wellington, it took a few of their shots out of the game. Here they could play them. So the margin for error became smaller for a bowler.”
Jamieson has a lot more left to do in the Test. And he’s got an appetite for wickets.