Mayank Agarwal got his eye in under tough conditions but was lured into the trap set by the Kiwis.
He ended up hooking against the wind and was soon walking back.
“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,” he said.
Still on the wind, Agarwal said, “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.”
Agarwal said the conditions were such that a batsman never felt ‘in.’
“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.”
Talking about exciting debutant paceman Kyle Jamieson, Agarwal 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.”
The Indian opener did not have a target total in mind. He said, “To be honest, as much as we can make and as long as we can bat, it will be good. Ajinkya [Rahane] batted very well.”
Kyle Jamieson shines on debut
The run-up has rhythm, the release is smooth and the effect is often devastating.
Kyle Jamieson was hungry for wickets on debut. The tall paceman bounded in and extracted bounce around the off-stump; an area where the Indian batsmen are vulnerable.
He mixed his length, probed the footwork of the batsmen. And his off-stump line- he displayed so much control and discipline on his first Test - was relentless.
His first two scalps in Test cricket - Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli. Both batting giants taken out cheaply snared around off. Jamieson was living a dream.
“It’s still sinking in. The last couple of weeks have been pretty surreal as well,” he said.
The pitch at the Basin Reserve was an ally. And Jamieson made his deliveries count. Had he been more fortunate, it could have been more than three.
On dismissing Kohli he said, “He’s such a key to their lineup. To get him early was massive for us.”
It got his competitive juices flowing. For someone just into his Test career, Jamieson is smart. He said, “I tried to keep it simple. My role is to make them play and with that extra bounce bring them forward.”
Jamieson was aware of the additional advantages that his height gave him. “With my height I can afford to go a fraction fuller, especially out here with the extra bounce. I try to make guys commit to play off the front foot. And if it does swing or seam you have a chance of finding the edge. My short ball too comes from a steeper angle.”
The Kiwi said he followed performances of Glenn McGrath while growing up. This Jamieson has plenty of possibilities.
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