Kyle Jamieson's addition to the New Zealand team was the X-factor in Kane Williamson's side winning the ICC World Test Championship final against India.
Follow Us
His height is six foot eight inches. He delivers the ball from 10 feet. If one had to believe, he was an opening batsman who reverted to fast bowling. Add the three-quarter seam good length accuracy around the off stump, he becomes lethal in every way. That has been the success story of Kyle Jamieson, the bowler from Auckland. In the 80s, the West Indies had a fearsome quartet of pace bowlers, each complimenting the other in the terror quotient.
In the modern era for New Zealand, Jamieson is part of the quartet of New Zealand pacers who are now the bonafide ICC World Test Champions. Trent Boult and Tim Southee have been the best new-ball bowlers for the last decade. While Boult and Southee bowl the new ball like a Samurai wielding their sword, Neil Wagner is the battering ram who decimates batsmen’s mental and technical factors relentlessly. Kyle Jamieson is the epitome of both accuracy, swing, bounce and hostility.
For anyone who has Virat Kohli as his first Test wicket, there must be something special about Jamieson.
Jamieson started his career for Auckland. But, it was during a Twenty20 match for Canterbury that Jamieson became the centre of attention. His 6/7 in four overs made him a star. Only three other bowlers in history have matched Jamieson’s individual tally. Thus, even in the domestic circles, Kyle Jamieson was already grabbing eyeballs.
It was during his debut against India that Jamieson was elevated to the next level. The tall pacer made his debut in Auckland and immediately had an impact. He hit an unbeaten 25 and it was his 76-run stand with Ross Taylor that gave New Zealand something to bowl at. With the ball, he took 2/42 as New Zealand secured a whitewash. Against India, Jamieson would do the Houdini act again, this time in the Tests.
In Wellington on his Test debut, he picked up Kohli with a full ball that swung late. He ended with 4/39 but it was the bat where he once again had an impact. After bowling India out for 165, Jamieson smashed 44 and ensured New Zealand had a lead of 200. It was his onslaught that gave New Zealand the edge.
Jamieson was in great form in the second Test as he took a five-wicket haul at the Hagley Oval. Once again, he was crucial with the bat as he did not allow India to have a big lead. His 49 gave India only a seven-run lead and New Zealand achieved the whitewash. After his success against India, Jamieson was on an upward curve.
Against the West Indies in Wellington, he picked up yet another five-wicket haul as New Zealand dominated the home summer by whitewashing the Windies again. In the series against Pakistan, Jamieson broke new ground as he took 11 wickets against Pakistan in Christchurch to cement the idea of the pace quartet.
In overcast conditions in Southampton, India made a good start after New Zealand chose to bowl. Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma stitched a 62-run stand. It seemed the initiative was slipping away from New Zealand. But, Jamieson changed the entire complexion of the game. With an outswsinger, he dismissed Rohit Sharma and the floodgates were opened.
Jamieson was aware of the lessons that he had learnt from India. Knowing that Kohli was vary of the inswinger, Jamieson kept probing away. On the third day, when Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane had stitched a 61-run stand, Jamieson dismissed Kohli with a nip-backer that trapped him in front. Kohli was averaging less than 25 against the incoming delivery and that was playing on his mind.
Jamieson’s burst rattled India’s tail and the last four wickets fell for 12 runs. India managed only 12 runs. The pace variation made the entire difference. While India’s bowlers bowled in the range of 85 to 90 miles per hour, Jamieson and the New Zealand pacers bowled at 80-85 mph. It was the perfect pace for England lengths. Bowl in the early 80s and get it to swing from the right channels.
When the game reached the reserve day, it seemed that the match would be drawn. But, Jamieson changed the game yet again. He removed Kohli for the second time with an incoming delivery that was slightly wide of off stump. The Indian skipper poked at it and fell cheaply. He induced a rare edge from Cheteshwar Pujara as both set batsmen fell. In the space of two overs, Jamieson had blown the game open. If one has to add, it was a repeat of Wellington and Christchurch.
With the tail, Jamieson shared a superb stand with Jamieson as New Zealand took a crucial lead. It was the right pace at the right lengths that confounded India and Jamieson exploited it well. Jamieson’s pressure at the other end saw Boult, Southee and Wagner go about their regular stuff. In the end, Jamieson got the Man of the Match award when one felt that Williamson should have got it for being superb in both innings with the bat.
“It’s nice to have the ball first up and play your part. It’s nice to have a chance to do good things for the team. The work that the other bowlers did was really helpful for my figures. Virat is a world-class player, and it was good to have some experience against him at RCB. To pick him up twice in the Test was great,” Jamieson said.
To have the audacity to deny Kohli the chance to get accustomed to the Dukes Ball is something that makes Jamieson a larger-than-life figure. But, at the same time, his addition has given cricket fans the chance to see a quartet of pacers in action yet again after nearly three decades.
Rishabh Pant's explosive last-over blitz ignites IPL 2024 amid T20 World Cup comeback talks
