New Zealand vs India 2020, 1st Test: Mayank Agarwal heaps praises on Kyle Jamieson after his impressive performance on debut
What's the story?
Indian opener Mayank Agarwal appreciated the bowling skills of New Zealand's debutant fast bowler Kyle Jamieson after the 6 ft 8 inches tall fast bowler scalped three wickets on the opening day of the Wellington Test match. The right-handed batsman even opened up on the reason behind India's top-order collapse at the Basin Reserve.
The background
India kicked off their second overseas series under the ICC World Test Championship against New Zealand in Wellington. The visitors were put in to bat by Kane Williamson as the new opening pair of Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal faced the challenge of playing against the new ball.
The pace-friendly conditions troubled the Indian side as they got reduced to 101-5 in 41.1 overs. A rain interruption in the latter half of the day ensured that only 55 overs of play were possible on day one. Rishabh Pant and Ajinkya Rahane's solid defence helped India end the day at 122/5.
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The heart of the matter
The top performer of the first day of the Wellington Test match was Kyle Jamieson who picked up three wickets in the 14 overs he bowled. He first dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara before sending Indian skipper Virat Kohli back to the pavilion. Hanuma Vihari was his third victim as he did not allow the Indians to settle down in the middle.
Talking to the reporters after the opening day, Agarwal praised Jamieson's bowling skills and said:
“I thought he bowled exceedingly well. He hit good areas and he got 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.”
Explaining the reason behind the failure of the Indian top order, the right-handed batsman stated:
“It [how to make the best use of the wind while striking the ball] was something we discussed after I came back. You definitely want to be aware of the conditions while you are playing. 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.”
He further described the playing conditions at the Basin Reserve and continued:
“It’s not easy, especially on the first day, on this track. I thought they bowled good areas and they kept testing us. 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.”
When asked about the team's targeted first innings score, Agarwal replied that whatever total the batsmen make will be good. He even lauded Ajinkya Rahane's batting performance.
What's next?
It will be intriguing to see if Rishabh Pant and Rahane can rescue the Indian team and take the total near 300. India have a stellar bowling attack by their side hence, Virat Kohli will not be tensed after the disappointing performance of his batsmen.