The Indian opener, Mayank Agarwal gave his best shot under tough conditions but ended up taking the bait given by the veteran Kiwi pacer, Trent Boult. He ended up playing a pull shot into the wind and was soon walking back.
Talking about the same, Mayank said, “It [how to make the best use of the wind while striking the ball] was something we discussed after I came back. I think it is quite tricky since the wind blows at more than a decent speed here. And you just have to make adjustments right there on the field. It’s not easy, especially on the first day, on this track. They didn’t give us anything loose. As a batsman, you never felt that you were completely in because even after lunch, it was doing a little bit.”
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When asked about the debutant pacer Kyle Jamieson, Agarwal replied, “I thought he bowled exceedingly well. He hit good areas and he got a good bounce. The way he used the new ball was fantastic and he kept probing us. Since the wicket was soft, he was getting the extra kick as well. To be honest, as much as we can make and as long as we can bat, it will be good. Ajinkya [Rahane] batted very well.”
Jamieson was hungry for wickets on his Test debut as he extracted bounce around the off-stump and it made the Indian batsmen are vulnerable. He mixed his length, probed the footwork of the batsmen. And his off-stump line- he displayed so much control and discipline on his first Test – was relentless. His first two scalps in Test cricket – Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, which can be termed as a dream for any bowler.
The pitch at the Basin Reserve was an ally. And Jamieson made his deliveries count. Had he been more fortunate, it could have been more than three.
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On dismissing Kohli he said, “He’s such a key to their lineup. To get him early was massive for us. I tried to keep it simple. With my height, I can afford to go a fraction fuller, especially out here with the extra bounce. I try to make guys commit to playing off the front foot. And if it does swing or seam you have a chance of finding the edge. My short ball to comes from a steeper angle.”
The Kiwi said he followed performances of Glenn McGrath while growing up. This Jamieson has plenty of possibilities.
