36 Years….46 Runs

By Rahul Patil

There is a simple unwritten formula on how to win test matches in the subcontinent. You win the toss, you bat first, you score big runs, and then you depend on your spinners to bowl you to victory. Both captains at the toss wanted to bat first. India had picked 3 spinners expecting the tried and tested formula to work, but within 31.2 overs three scientists named Southee, Henry, & O’Rourke not only proved the formula to be wrong, but they also shred it to pieces. Five Indian batters were dismissed without scoring, and only two made it to double figures.

The Bengaluru surface which had been under the covers for a long time and hadn’t been rolled enough behaved like a rebellious teenager. It had pace, bounce, and seam movement while the conditions ensured swing. Indians are known for their fabulous hospitality, but this was like offering your own bedroom to your guests while you slept in a tent on the lawn outside.

Matt Henry with figures of 5 for 15 registered the most economical five wicket haul in the history of New Zealand test cricket. The same Matt Henry who didn’t get picked for both tests against Sri Lanka. With Southee being only a shade of the bowler that he once was, Boult busy growing his superannuation fund on the franchise cricket circuit, the lion-hearted Wagner having retired, and Jameison’s 6 foot 8-inch frame not coping with the demands of fast bowling, the reliable Matt Henry is now well and truly the leader of the Blackcaps attack and in young William O’Rourke, Batman has found his Robin.

If the start to Will’s test career is anything to go by, fast bowling fans are in for an absolute treat. 26 wickets in 5 matches at an average of 18.84 and a strike rate of 35.2 are as good as it gets. Test matches on Indian wickets can make or break fast bowling careers. O’Rourke’s performance just confirmed what we already knew. He’s a keeper. We need to manage him carefully though and preserve him in cotton wool for red ball cricket primarily.

Although they are played over five days there are a few key moments in every test that have a huge bearing on the outcome. New Zealand won many such key moments. It was a good toss to lose but a spicy pitch alone does not guarantee success. You still need to put the ball in the right areas and be patient. The blackcaps did just that. When they batted in their first innings, at one stage they were 233 for 7, i.e. a lead of 187. From there the last 3 wickets added a further 169. During India’s second innings the wicket of Virat Kohli on the last ball of day 3 was a massive moment. Using the second new ball effectively was another moment where the blackcaps excelled and picked up the last seven Indian wickets for 54 runs. On the fifth morning when Latham fell, things could have still gone haywire but Young & Rachin played with calmness and maturity to take their side home.

Rachin’s love affair with India continues. A year back at the ODI World Cup he forced the cricketing world to take notice of him. Now when he walks to the crease, we expect him to score runs every time. It’s a huge transformation within a short space of time. What separates great players from the good ones is the way in which they prepare. Rachin arrived in India before the rest of his team and practiced for four days on both red and black soil pitches in Chennai at the Super Kings Academy. The benefits of that prep were on full display in both innings. Decisive footwork allowed him to score fluently and frustrated the Indian spinners, as he never allowed them to settle into a rhythm. With Williamson currently out of the side, Rachin will be the one to dominate opposition bowler meetings.

A word on Sarfaraz Khan who scored a brilliant 150 in India’s second innings. Please google his name when you have a bit of time and read about his well-documented journey from age group cricket to international cricket. It will warm your heart. It’s a story of a father living his dream through his two sons. Yes, Sarfaraz’s brother Musheer Khan plays first class cricket for Mumbai too. It’s a story of sacrifice, of hard work, of passion, of hope, and the relentless pursuit of a dream. One that confirms that nice guys don’t always finish last and one that most kids in India aspiring to play for the country will identify with.

1-0 up in a 3-match series is an amazing start but come Thursday the blackcaps must do it all over again. India will be hurting. Ravichandran Ashwin will be hurting even more. They are not used to losing test matches at home let alone be humiliated in this manner. Their response in the second innings showed us a glimpse of what they are capable of. They are a champion side, and I expect them to comeback strongly. The hospitality ends in Bengaluru. Pune will turn, hopefully the tide doesn’t.

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