The towering Kyle Jamieson had a dream introduction to Test cricket with three wickets, including the prized wicket of Virat Kohli, in the opening two sessions of the first Test against India in Wellington on Friday.
Immediately after the toss the covers were briefly put on the wicket as a light shower passed over the Basin Reserve ground but the match got underway on time. However there was more rain during the tea break, delaying the restart of the match and eventually costing an entire session on day one.
At tea on day one India were struggling at 122/5 with the 6ft 8in Jamieson claiming 3/38. No further play was possible. The gloomy conditions typified India’s batting woes with only Ajinkya Rahane (38 batting off 122 balls) matching wares when it came to winning the mental battle.
Jamieson’s three-wicket haul was the undoubted highlight of the day for hosts. He further repaid the selectors’ faith with an excellent catch in the deep to remove opener Mayank Agarwal.
The 25-year-old was called into the New Zealand squad as cover during Neil Wagner’s paternity leave, and while not as quick as Wagner, he used his height to extract extra bounce that troubled the Indian top order.
In a nine-ball burst before lunch he had Cheteshwar Pujara caught behind for 11 and then outsmarted Kohli for two.
He kept the Indian skipper on the back foot for a few deliveries before pitching one up, wide of off stump, which drew Kohli forward and the ball was nicked to first slip where Ross Taylor clasped the catch in his fingertips.
Between lunch and tea, Jamieson added to his wicket tally with another fuller delivery that Hanuma Vihari (seven) edged to wicketkeeper BJ Watling, and he showed his safe hands to catch Agarwal after the Indian opener top-edged Trent Boult to long leg.
Agarwal was out for 34 after featuring in a 48-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane who was unbeaten on 38 at tea with Rishabh Pant on 10.
Rahane has a liking for the Basin Reserve ground after scoring the first of his 11 Test centuries there in the drawn Test against New Zealand in 2014.
Earlier, New Zealand inserted India into bat on a windy morning.
“It’s a bit soft on top but it has that green tinge so hopefully we make an impact with the ball,” captain Kane Williamson said at the toss.
India skipper Kohli said he would also have bowled had the toss gone his way.
“It’s a no-brainer on day one. It’s going to be overcast all day. That said, the pitch looks better than it was two days ago with a lot of the grass taken off,” Kohli said.
Jamieson made his Test debut for New Zealand in what will be the 100th Test for senior batsman Ross Taylor.
Both sides are playing one spinner in the match with Ajaz Patel starting for New Zealand and Ravichandran Ashwin preferred over Ravindra Jadeja in the India line up.
Kohli also selected Rishabh Pant ahead of Wriddhiman Saha for the much-debated wicket-keeper batsman slot. Pant has not played on the current tour of New Zealand so far despite being part of both the ODI and T20I series,
Kohli’s team are unbeaten so far (winning all their matches) in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship.
Although India are ranked the number one Test nation in the world, they don’t have the best record historically in New Zealand conditions where they have won just one of 16 Tests in the past 30 years.
They have only won once in Wellington and that was 52 years ago and their last appearance at the Basin Reserve, in 2014, ended in a draw.
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson (capt), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Trent Boult
India: Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG), Aleem Dar (PAK)
TV Umpire: Michael Gough (ENG)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)
(With AFP inputs)
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