New Zealand vs India 2020: Kyle Jamieson keen to contribute as all-rounder after Wellington Test
25-year-old Kyle Jamieson had a debut to remember as he contributed with both bat and ball as New Zealand won the game by ten wickets. Jamieson picked up key wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara in the first innings and ended with figures of 4/39 and scored a quick 44 which included 4 huge sixes. After such a performance, Jamieson is hopeful of contributing to the Black Caps as a genuine all-rounder.
“I always liked batting, it was probably what I grew up admiring the most - whilst I did bowl, I did not think of that as my career option growing up. Now I’m a bowler who can bat, trying to get to the all-rounder stage, that’s where I ideally want to be,” said Jamieson.
Jamieson at school level was someone who batted but gradually fancied bowling because of his height. Later on, he began to focus more on his bowling. But the performance in Wellington surely makes him a contender to be a utility player for New Zealand as the likes of Colin de Grandhomme or Jimmy Neesham.
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One of the rare blips in Jamieson's bowling though is the pace. For a man who is as tall as him, his pace of 130-135 kmph is a bit on the slower side. But he believed that he had much more to offer to the Black Caps and that he would eventually be peaking at the right time.
“Yeah, for sure (looking to add pace). I’m still a long way off (from) where I want to be as a bowler and as a cricketer. The stuff that I started to work on with Auckland, with Heinrich (Malan), I think in the next year or so, I’m going to make massive strides,” Jamieson stated.