KEY POINTS:
There is an appealing honesty about Iain O'Brien when he talks of his rise from journeyman first-class bowler to world-class third seamer for his country.
And if you scratch your head over that last part, a glance at O'Brien's numbers in the past year will fix that.
But
the backdrop is important to finding out how the Wellington fast-medium bowler has got to where he is.
This is no story of a player groomed for the top from the late teens. Indeed, O'Brien was a late starter in cricket. He made his first-class debut at 24 in 2000-01 and got his chance in tests against Australia in March 2005. It was not a success, taking two for 197 - even if they were Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn.
Looking back, O'Brien knew his call-up came a season too soon. He just wasn't ready.
Nevertheless he went to South Africa 18 months later. The first test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg "went okay" but he reached a clutch point halfway through South Africa's only innings in the second international at Centurion.
He'd bowled poorly "one of the worst spells I've bowled in international cricket". He knew if he didn't sort himself out the following day that could be it.
He talked with the team's sports psychologist Gary Hermansson, who gave him a breathing technique to work on, helping him "take the focus away from the demons that sometimes entered the head".
Team bowling coach Dayle Hadlee worked on a small technical change to his action.
The result was a distinct improvement the following day. Potential crisis averted.
But the real advance came from the start of this year. Even allowing for missing the three home tests against England, O'Brien has taken 30 wickets from his last eight tests, at an average of 20.3 apiece. Those numbers put him in the top echelon. Overall, he's got 35 wickets at 28.51.
"Now I deserve to be here," he said. "It's pretty cool. I look at the averages and I'm right up there. That's nice."
So he's gone from being an in-and-out proposition to among the first names written down. Who says so? Captain Dan Vettori for starters.
O'Brien was not selected for the Lord's test on the return trip to England in May-June.
"I was gutted. But I had a really good game at Old Trafford and at Trent Bridge I picked up four for 74, my best figures so far. So I felt I could change my goals. Now I want to play every test this season. Anything else is a bonus.
"But if I play eight tests and be successful, I'll be a very happy boy at the end of the season."
O'Brien prides himself on his ability to bowl into the wind, something he had to master in his early Wellington days when he was vying for selection alongside Mark Gillespie, Carl Bulfin and James Franklin. They got first dibs with the breeze so O'Brien set himself a stiff task and has accomplished it impressively.
It's not been easy, but the 32-year-old, who has taken 220 first-class wickets at a solid 24.77 average, is nothing if not a wholehearted trier.
O'Brien is walking evidence of the importance of sweat and toil, and what it can bring.
"It hurts going out bowling. It's never been easy, with my body and my action. I'm not as fluent as the other guys."
But crucially, O'Brien enjoys the captain's support. Vettori likes the fact that when he tosses the ball O'Brien's way he knows what he'll get.
He remembers the way O'Brien fought his way back into the side with strong form in the nets in South Africa.
"I was impressed with the way he ran in and what he was trying to do, and ever since then, every practice, every session, every game he's taken his opportunities," Vettori said.
"And it's great to see a guy at that age develop into a world-class bowler. It shows anyone persevering in first-class cricket that there is a path to international cricket."
As for O'Brien, life is good right now.
"Every day is a dream come true. To call myself a test cricketer is pretty cool."
The second day of the first test was washed out yesterday without a ball being bowled.
