Kyle Jamieson acknowledges the crowd after his five-wicket bag. Photo / Photosport
Kyle Jamieson acknowledges the crowd after his five-wicket bag. Photo / Photosport
After his superb test debut last week, Kyle Jamieson warned that he was still "a long way off" from where he wanted to be.
Spare a thought for the world's batsmen then, because few New Zealand bowlers have started their test careers as impressively as he.
As if 4-39 in his first test innings wasn't quite enough, Jamieson today claimed 5-45 in his second test at Hagley Oval as the Black Caps dismissed India for 242, before reaching stumps at 63-0 to wrestle control of the test.
Following a first test victory in which they barely lost a session, let alone a day, it was New Zealand's day once again to start the second showdown, after winning a vital toss.
The Black Caps haven't lost a home test after winning the toss since 2009, while Indian captain Virat Kohli has never lost a test, anywhere, after winning the toss, holding a 21-4-0 record. So, when Kohli called incorrectly, the Black Caps' chances skyrocketed, gleefully sending India into bat on an extremely green wicket.
Looks can be deceiving in New Zealand though, and initially India combatted the conditions well. Kohli had asked his side to be more positive, and they were, with opener Prithvi Shaw smashing the new ball, making a quick 54 as India reached 80-1.
However, Shaw became Jamieson's first victim just before lunch – a leaping Tom Latham producing a ripper left-handed catch above his head – and when Tim Southee claimed the big wickets of Kohli (lbw for three) and Ajinkya Rahane (caught at slip for seven) immediately after the break, their promising start had unravelled.
Tim Southee celebrates after dismissing Virat Kohli. Photo / Getty
Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari went about re-building the innings, with varying strategies. Pujara was happy to be more cautious, bringing up his 50 from 117 balls, while Vihari, who was on 13 when Pujara raised his bat, soon went racing past, smacking 10 fours in his 67-ball half-century.
Vihari was offering chances though – BJ Watling having a rare off-day behind the stumps – and when he rashly swiped at a Neil Wagner short ball, two balls before tea, his innings was over on 55, and so was India's 81-run stand – their biggest of the series.
Still, at 194-5 at tea, a strong score looked plausible, only for Jamieson to come to the party. India's aggressive strategy suddenly imploded, with Pujara throwing away 140 balls of fight with a wild hook shot, before their last recognised batsmen – Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja – both made the mistake of attacking Jamieson, with Pant chopping on and Jadeja holing out to fine leg.
Neil Wagner celebrates making the breakthrough. Photo / Photosport
India eventually needed a 26-run last-wicket stand to even scrape to 242, with Jamieson finishing with his maiden five-wicket bag, allowing the former Canterbury bowler to walk off his favourite venue to applause, and hold the ball aloft to his family watching on in the stands.
"They're so much a part of this journey – to have them here and to witness this moment was pretty special," Jamieson said.
"I was certainly very comfortable coming back out here, the run-ups and the pitch felt pretty normal. It was massive part of my career, and nice to come back home.
"At one stage I thought they were going to get a few more, it wasn't quite doing as much as what it did in Wellington, so to keep them to 242 is pretty good."
It was made even better by Latham and Tom Blundell surviving 23 overs before stumps, putting the Black Caps in a strong position as they hunt what would be one of their most impressive series wins.
