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Mandhana-led India bat, debuts for Hasabnis, Thakor

admin — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 08:11:26 +0000

Toss India chose to bat vs New Zealand

India missed their captain Harmanpreet Kaur due to a niggle, and in her absence Smriti Mandhana won the toss and opted to bat in the opening women’s ODI against New Zealand. This is the first women’s ODI in Motera, Ahmedabad since April 2013.

India handed ODI caps to middle-order Maharashtra batter Tejal Hasabnis and Mumbai’s seam bowling-allrounder Saima Thakor, who played for UP Warriorz in WPL 2024. Arundhati Reddy and Renuka Singh were the other fast bowling options at India’s disposal while Deepti Sharma and Radha Yadav the spin options. D Hemalatha was carded in at No. 4 in the absence of Harmanpreet while Yastila Bhatia took the gloves and was slotted in at one-down.

New Zealand lined up similar to the way they had in their successful T20 World Cup campaign. Lauren Down, who made a comeback from maternity break earlier this year, was part of the lower middle order while tall fast bowler Molly Penfold also got a go. Fast bowler Lea Tahuhu, part of the experienced troika that includes captain Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, was rested.

This series is important for New Zealand, who are in search of crucial ICC Women’s Championship points.

India: 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 4 D Hemalatha, 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Tejal Hasabnis, 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Radha Yadav, 9 Arundhati Reddy, 10 Saima Thakor, 11 Renuka Singh

New Zealand: 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Lauren Down, 8 Isabella Gaze (wk), 9 Jess Kerr, 10 Molly Penfold, 11 Eden Carson

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New Zealand hope turning Pune pitch will play into their hands

admin — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:00:54 +0000

New Zealand have played down all the talk around the Pune pitch – a slow, dry, black-soil surface is in the works – but if conditions turn out to be extreme and the ball turns square from the first day, it could favour the visitors’ spinners too. This is the assessment of their captain Tom Latham on the eve of the second Test against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

“I guess whatever we’re presented with, it’s about, for us, trying to adapt as quick as we can; that’s something that we can’t control with the wicket,” Latham said. “So it’s about trying to go out there and adapt as quick as we can, and if it’s going to be a wicket that turns a little bit more, then we’ve obviously got four spinners in our line-up, so fingers crossed that will play into their hands, but yeah, as I said, it’s about trying to adapt on the run, and try not to go into the game with too many preconceived ideas.”

Allrounder Rachin Ravindra, who is among New Zealand’s spin options, agreed with his captain. When Pune had served up a sharp turner in 2017, it had backfired on India, with left-arm fingerspinner Steve O’Keefe spinning Australia to victory inside three days. O’Keefe took 12 wickets, which was as many as R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja combined.

“If it’s an extreme wicket, it almost brings us into the game more,” Ravindra said. “If you win the toss, all of a sudden you take a couple of wickets and you’re right into the game on a wicket that’s pretty spicy and turns a lot. As a team, it’s about accepting what’s in front of us. We can’t change that. We can’t control what wicket they’re going to roll out.

“But we can control our attitude, how we approach it, and each and every position we get into with the bat or consistency with the ball. We’re excited for the challenge, whatever it may be.”

New Zealand had picked three spinners for the first Test in Bengaluru, but didn’t need any of them with the ball in the first innings in seaming conditions. Their workload, however, could be much heavier across both innings in Pune. New Zealand are also open to selecting an extra spinner in place of a seamer if the conditions dictate the need for it. Offspin-bowling allrounder Michael Bracewell has returned home for the birth of his second child, but they have other options in Mitchell Santner (left-arm fingerspinner) and Ish Sodhi (wristspinner).

“Yeah, I obviously had a little bit of a think around what that [the playing XI] may look like, but we’ll make those final decisions after I speak to you guys, Latham said. “So yeah, as I said, it’s just about trying to make sure we adapt as best we can, and try to get a little bit of information from previous games here, and also the practice wickets that we’re on will hopefully be something around, or similar to what we’re getting, so I think that’s the beauty of our team, is trying not to go into the game with too many preconceived ideas, and trying to make sure we adapt as best we can.”

Latham also looked back fondly on the success in Bengaluru – he became only the third New Zealander to captain the side to a Test win in India – but he quickly shifted the focus to Pune, where New Zealand hope to go one better and seal the series.

“Yeah, obviously very special, I guess to be… there’s myself, Graham Dowling and John Wright, to be in this position is really special, Latham said. “But for me it was a team effort, it wasn’t just me that obviously contributed to the win, you know, the guys did a fantastic job, and obviously that was last week, we obviously celebrated what was a special performance.

“But our attention turned quickly to this game, and we’re trying not to, I guess, rest on what happened last week, as trying to take the confidence from last week, and take that into this game, and hopefully hit the ground running.”

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Mitchell: ‘We can’t change the wicket, but we’ll find a way to adapt’

admin — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 17:29:39 +0000

Pune is preparing to roll out a bald, low-bounce black-soil pitch to negate New Zealand’s seamers, who had set up their first Test win in India in 36 years in Bengaluru, but the visitors aren’t too fussed about it, according to Daryl Mitchell. After New Zealand finished their first practice session by noon on Tuesday, the groundstaff cut some amount of grass off the pitch and it might be shaved bare on the eve of the second Test.

“One thing we can’t do is we can’t change the surface,” Mitchell said two days out of the Pune Test. “So for us, it’s reacting to what’s coming at us and adapting on the fly. We as Kiwis, that’s what we pride ourselves on, we get stuck into the moment, we stay where our feet are and we be as present as possible. We can’t change the wicket. What will be, will be. But I’m sure we’ll come up with a plan and find a way to take 20 wickets and hopefully score a few runs as well.”

While Mitchell is often proactive against spin – he is adept at stepping out and also sweeping and reverse-sweeping – he has been searching for some form. Since scoring a century against Sri Lanka at his home ground in Christchurch in March last year, Mitchell has managed only 406 runs in 16 innings at an average of 27.06, which is almost 20 points below his overall average of 46.08 in Test cricket. Mitchell, however, isn’t reading too much into it.

“Look, that’s the nature of the game that we play, especially Test cricket,” he said. “You know, you have little patches where you score a lot of runs and you have patches where I guess you get starts and you want to keep trying to convert. So, look, for me, I just love playing for New Zealand. It means a hell of a lot to pull on that baggy and play Test cricket. And I know that if I keep doing my job for the team, then personal milestones and things like that will take care of themselves.”

With Kane Williamson unavailable for the second Test too, as he continues to recover from a groin strain, Will Young is set to keep his place at No.3. He forged an unbroken 75-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra in the fourth innings to settle New Zealand’s small chase of 107 after Jasprit Bumrah had taken out both Tom Latham and Devon Conway in another sensational burst. Mitchell’s Canterbury team-mate Will O’Rourke, who was playing his first Test in India, also made a serious impression by coming away with a match haul of seven wickets, including the first-innings scalp of Virat Kohli. Mitchell hailed their smooth transition from domestic to international cricket.

“Youngie and Rachin have been around our group for a long time even though they haven’t played a lot of cricket,” Mitchell said. “They’ve been able to see how the culture works and how we want to go about playing as Black Caps. And they’ve fitted seamlessly into their roles.

“Will O’Rourke, he’s a young talent. He’s from my domestic team back home, so I’ve had to face him plenty of times in the nets and it’s not much fun. So look, he’s a great talent and I’m sure he’ll continue to do amazing thing for New Zealand in the future.”

While O’Rourke’s 6’4″ frame – and high release point – has provided New Zealand’s attack a new cutting edge, he is also capable of locating a fuller length and moving the ball both ways at speeds north of 140kph. Mitchell, who has followed O’Rourke’s progress from close quarters, gave his take on why O’Rourke is an awkward bowler to face.

“He’s a big unit first of all,” Mitchell said. “He’s tall, he bowls from a height but he also can get the balls to go both ways which is always a challenge especially in Christchurch at Hagley [Oval]. There’s a bit of bounce in those wickets, so as you can imagine it can be quite tough at times. “But yeah look, he’s first of all a great man as well. He doesn’t say a lot but when he does it’s pretty funny and yeah, he’s good to have around.”

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Santner named NZ’s interim captain for SL white-ball tour; Smith and Hay get maiden call-ups

admin — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 17:15:56 +0000

Mitchell Santner has been named New Zealand’s interim captain for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, NZC confirmed on Tuesday. Santner will lead a 15-man squad that includes maiden call-ups to bowling allrounder Nathan Smith and wicketkeeper-batter Mitchell Hay to face Sri Lanka in two T20Is and three ODIs next month. NZC also confirmed that a decision on the team’s long-term ODI and T20I captain will be taken later in the summer.

Smith, 25, was recently named the NZC’s Men’s Domestic Player of the Year at the New Zealand Cricket Awards in March, before earning his first central contract last month. Smith had claimed 24 wickets across all domestic white-ball competitions for Wellington last season, including career-best figures of 4 for 5 against Otago in the Super Smash. Hay, who made his New Zealand A debut last year, was crowned Canterbury’s Male Player of the Year back in April.

Lockie Ferguson, meanwhile, will spearhead the pace attack, comprising Smith, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, and Josh Clarkson. Tim Robinson earns his second call-up after excelling on his maiden international tour to Pakistan in April.

Michael Bracewell and Glenn Phillips are the spin-bowling allrounders in the squad, alongside Santner, while Dean Foxcroft can also offer some handy offspin. Legspinner Ish Sodhi is the most experienced T20I player in the squad, with 117 appearances.

Glenn Phillips, Will Young and Henry Nicholls provide the batting reinforcements, with Nicholls coming off an impressive Ford Trophy campaign last summer where he scored 301 runs in six games at 75.25.

Six members of the New Zealand Test squad in India have been included, and will relocate straight to Sri Lanka at the conclusion of the third Test in Mumbai. The New Zealand-based players, however, will depart for Sri Lanka on November 4 ahead of the first T20I in Dambulla on November 9. Bracewell will join the white-ball squad from New Zealand, following his return home from India this week for the birth of his second child.

Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee and Kane Williamson were not considered for selection as they prioritised the upcoming three-Test series against England, starting in Christchurch on November 28.

“This [Sri Lanka] tour is the beginning of the build-up towards the ICC Champions Trophy in February 2025 and we also have an eye towards the 2027 ODI World Cup,” chief selector Sam Wells said.

“Building depth is of critical importance due to the demands of the international schedule and the need to peak for pinnacle events.

“For that reason it’s particularly exciting to include a number of players that we believe represent the future of the Blackcaps.”

Head coach Gary Stead will lead the group alongside bowling coach Jacob Oram. Former England international James Foster, meanwhile, will rejoin New Zealand as their batting coach, as full-time batting coach Luke Ronchi heads home to focus on the start of the New Zealand home summer.

New Zealand T20I and ODI squad:

Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Foulkes, Dean Foxcroft, Mitch Hay (wk), Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Robinson, Nathan Smith, Ish Sodhi, Will Young

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand series schedule

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Kane Williamson to miss second Test against India

admin — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 02:47:08 +0000

“We’re monitoring Kane and he’s tracking in the right direction, but isn’t yet 100% fit,” said New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “We’re hopeful to see further improvement over the coming days and have him available for the third Test. We’ll give him as much time as possible to get himself ready, but certainly continue to take a cautious approach.”

New Zealand lead the three-Test series in India 1-0 after winning the first Test by eight wickets. Rachin Ravindra was the Player of the Match, for scoring a century in the first innings and an unbeaten 39* in the chase. Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke took eight and seven wickets respectively. New Zealand travelled to Pune on Monday evening and are set to have their first practice session in the city on Tuesday.

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Polly Inglis earns maiden NZ call-up, Lauren Down returns for India ODIs

admin — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 16:57:29 +0000

Batter Lauren Down has also made been included in the 15-member squad after she made her return from maternity break in July. The pair’s inclusion is the only change to the squad that helped New Zealand win their maiden Women’s T20 World Cup title.

From the victorious squad, fast bowler Rosemary Mair has been rested, keeping in mind her workload management following her return from a serious back injury, while offspinner Leigh Kasperek has been left out.

The core of the T20 World Cup-winning team, including the senior trio of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu are part of the touring party. Devine will continue to lead them in the ODIs following her decision to step down as the T20I captain after the World Cup.

Inglis’ strong performances in domestic cricket first helped her earn a contract and then a spot in the national squad. She scored 324 runs – the second-most in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield 2023-24, the 50-over competition – at an average of 54 and a strike rate close to 80, largely batting the middle order. She also scored 103 in the three-match one-day series between New Zealand A and England A that they won 2-1.

“We’re really excited to introduce Polly for her first tour,” Ben Sawyer said in a NZC statement. “She put her hand up in last season’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield one-day competition and throughout the New Zealand A series against England, so it’s a great next step for her.

“Touring India is one of the great experiences in world cricket. It’s such a special place to come and I know everyone is looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

The three ODIs, to be played in Ahmedabad, are part of the Women’s Championship. New Zealand are currently placed sixth on the table with a three-match series against Australia to follow. The top five teams plus hosts India qualify directly for the Women’s ODI World Cup next year.

New Zealand squad for the women’s ODIs against India

Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Lauren Down, Izzy Gaze (wk), Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Polly Inglis (wk), Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Molly Penfold, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu

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South Africa opt to bowl, both teams unchanged

admin — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 14:31:11 +0000

Toss South Africa opt to bowl vs New Zealand

Laura Wolvaardt called correctly as South Africa elected to bowl first against New Zealand in their second straight T20 World Cup final, at the Dubai International Stadium.

South Africa have been unchanged all tournament. In fact, ten of the XI members on Sunday also featured in last year’s final against Australia in Cape Town. New Zealand too went in with the same XI that beat West Indies two nights ago in Sharjah.

Wolvaardt wanted to do what has worked for them so far – they’ve won all four games chasing. Devine said New Zealand would’ve batted first anyway. So, both captains have got what they wanted.

This is New Zealand’s first final since 2010, where Australia beat them by three runs at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown. South Africa, meanwhile, are looking to go one better than last year, where they were beaten by Australia.

Suzie Bates, who played that 2010 final along with Devine, becomes the most-capped women’s international, going past Mithali Raj’s record of 333 appearances.

New Zealand: 1 Georgia Plimmer, 2 Suzie Bates, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Gaze (wk), 8 Rosemary Mair, 9 Lea Tahuhu, 10 Eden Carson, 11 Fran Jonas

South Africa: 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Anneke Bosch, 4 Chloe Tryon, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Sune Luus, 6 Annerie Dercksen, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 10 Nonkululeko Mlaba, 11 Ayabonga Khaka

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Latham all praise for Ravindra: ‘He calmed the dressing room with his composure’

admin — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 13:15:39 +0000

“We’re blessed with a couple of guys on our side, a couple of young guys that have stepped up in this match,” Latham said after the win in the first Test in Bengaluru. “I think the way Will [O’Rourke] bowled was outstanding, but I think I also look at the other two seamers, Tim Southee and Matt Henry, the pressure they were able to apply with that new ball on day one was outstanding. Matt got the rewards and Will got the rewards in that first innings.

“It was a combination of everything. [It is] a really special feeling to be in this position. I think the work we did in the first and second innings with the ball and then obviously with the bat, really set the game up for us. It’s obviously a proud moment for this group and the one we will celebrate.”

Latham was effusive in his praise for Ravindra, who played a key hand in stretching New Zealand’s lead past the 350 mark in the first innings followed by a 39 not out in the second when New Zealand were two down early in the chase with the ball doing a fair bit on the final morning.

Ravindra, who is just ten Tests old, showed his composure while forging an eighth-wicket partnership of 137 with Southee in the first innings after the visitors had slipped to 233 for 7.

“The way he [Ravindra] played the situation of the game was really important for us,” Latham said. “A 137-run partnership with a No. 9 batter is awesome. I think the way he played leading up to that [second] new ball was really important.

“Even this morning, the way he came out with the game in the balance where another couple of wickets there and it could have been a nervy 50-60 runs, but I think the way he calmed the dressing room with his composure out there for a young guy in his ninth or tenth Test to play in that fashion is obviously exciting.

“We’ve seen the talent that he has got over the last 12 months and certainly happy he is on our side.”

Despite bowling India out for 46 in the first innings and then amassing 402 when they batted, New Zealand had to work hard for the win. India replied strongly in their second innings, erasing the deficit losing just three wickets with Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant looking set for more.

The second new ball, however, brought about a change of fortunes as India collapsed from 433 for 4 to 462 all out and New Zealand had to chase only 107.

“From our perspective, we knew India were going to come back,” Latham said. “From the wicket point of view, it’s probably at its best over those couple of days [three and four] for a bit to bat, so we certainly knew it was going to be a challenge against India, who obviously have a lot of firepower in that line-up. They certainly keep challenging us, they keep asking good questions and obviously to get a lead from the position that they were in was obviously a quality effort.

“But the work we did with the new ball yesterday evening was outstanding. I think Tim Southee, Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke with that new ball, just asked lots of questions and obviously managed to get the rewards.

“At that point we certainly knew India were going to get themselves right back in the game and certainly [we were] just happy we weren’t chasing too many more than 100.”

While Latham had led New Zealand in nine Tests previously, this was his first since being appointed full-time captain after Southee stepped down after the Sri Lanka series last month. He cheekily admitted that he was “very happy” to lose the toss on the second morning as he too would have opted to bat first. The opening day was washed out due to rain and with the pitch under covers for the better part of two days, New Zealand ran the Indian batting unit ragged.

“They [India] certainly keep challenging us, they keep asking good questions and obviously to get a lead from the position that they were in was obviously a quality effort”

“I guess it’s just one of those times where you fall on the wrong or right side, whatever way you look at it, it’s always hard,” he said. “I guess the time that the wicket was under the covers, they obviously didn’t have the preparation time that they probably would have liked and [I am] happy that it fell the right way for us.

“I think you try to look at what’s going to be harder. Is it going to be harder on day one or is it going to be harder on day five? We expect the match to go the duration of the game and I think we even saw it this morning when [Ravindra] Jadeja got that one out of the foot marks that hit Rachin in the head.

“Obviously, the pitch was deteriorating. The cracks were starting to open a little bit more and we certainly saw that from a seamer’s point of view when the ball did hit those cracks that went up and down a little bit. I guess that’s a fine balance when you come over here and there’s not many times that you win the toss and bowl. So yeah, happy it fell on the right side.”

It could end up being a red-letter day for New Zealand cricket. The men’s team won a Test in India after 36 years, and the women’s team now have the chance to claim their maiden ICC title when they face South Africa in the T20 World Cup final later in the evening in Dubai.

“Yeah, it’s obviously been a great morning for New Zealand cricket from our point of view, but hopefully it can be an even better day for New Zealand cricket,” Latham said. “Obviously, the guys have been following the tournament a little bit and we’re obviously excited when they won that semi-final and I think for them to be in the position now with a chance of winning a T20 World Cup is obviously really special. Good luck to them.”

Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo

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Rachin Ravindra headlines NZ’s first Test win in India since 1988

admin — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 08:31:15 +0000

New Zealand 402 (Ravindra 134, Conway 91, Jadeja 3-72) and 110 for 2 (Young 48*, Ravindra 39*, Bumrah 2-29) beat India 46 (Pant 20, Henry 5-15, O’Rourke 4-22) and 462 (Sarfaraz 150, Pant 99, O’Rourke 3-92) by eight wickets

The exhilarating Bengaluru Test got the climax it deserved, with New Zealand made to work hard to complete their first Test win in India in 36 years. Under overcast skies, the ball seamed around appreciably, Jasprit Bumrah threatened to take a wicket every second delivery, and the crowd appealed almost every ball, but New Zealand absorbed it all to ease their way to the target of 107 once things settled down a touch.

Will Young was the calming influence after Bumrah got Tom Latham second ball of the day, but Devon Conway did his bit – jumping around, wearing blows on the body, but not playing loose shots. By the time Bumrah finally got Conway for 17 off 39 balls, he was at the fag end of his spell and New Zealand had scored 35 already. The fielders did their bit, having saved at least 11 runs by then.

But once again India’s misreading of the pitch came back to hurt them. They didn’t have a third seamer to exploit the conditions, and Young and Rachin Ravindra knocked off the remaining runs with relative ease.

While Bumrah bowled, though, you struggled to see where the next run would come from. He drew 22 false shots in eight overs, consistently drawing movement off the surface. Latham might have thought he had the accurate inswinger covered, but the ball pitched and nipped in even further to get him. Conway thought he had the angle covered from around the wicket, but this one swung after pitching, beginning to change its path halfway between pitching and reaching Conway, beating the outside edge and trapping him in front.

Bumrah was in his seventh over now, and Ravindra, the first-innings centurion, all but sealed the deal when he got two boundaries off the first three balls he faced. He steered the first one behind square, and then got the rare loose ball from Bumrah – a full one on the pads.

Young then paddled and punched Ravindra Jadeja for boundaries in his first over to get the package ready. Not trusting the Bengaluru weather to hold up after lunch, the two batters attacked the spinners to put a nice little bow on the top. Young’s drop-kicked six off Kuldeep Yadav was even Mark Waugh-like.

India made a remarkable comeback from being bowled out for 46 in the first innings, but in the end, New Zealand hung in long enough to seal only their third Test win in India and their first since 1988.

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O’Rourke: ‘I’ve been pretty streaky, pretty hot and cold with the ball’

admin — Sat, 19 Oct 2024 17:26:28 +0000

William O’Rourke admitted being “pretty streaky” and “hot and cold” in the early part of the second innings of the first Test in Bengaluru. But having gone for 75 off his first 15 overs, he dismissed Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja in three successive overs with the second new ball as India lost their last six wickets for just 29 runs.

“Overall, for me, I’ve been pretty streaky, pretty hot and cold with the ball,” O’Rourke said at the end of the fourth day. “Pant and Sarfaraz [Khan] obviously batted very well for a long time there, but that second new ball came on and started doing a little bit for us.

“So, credit to Timmy [Tim Southee] for getting that first breakthrough [of Sarfaraz] and then I was lucky enough to get a wee chop on there [from Pant] to give us a bit of momentum going through.”

Sarfaraz, in particular, handled O’Rourke well, picking him for 39 runs in 35 balls and repeatedly throwing him off his lengths with ramps and late cuts. While O’Rourke said he and the rest of the bowling unit could have been tighter with their lengths, he credited Sarfaraz for using the angles and opening up the field.

“He [Sarfaraz] played me really well,” O’Rourke said. “With that angle of me sort of falling away, it sort of opens up that little dab shot. Yeah, maybe we could have been in the game a little bit, but he played it so well.

“I would have liked to be a little bit tighter. Obviously, one of his strengths is that [the late cut]. So, yeah, I would have liked to be a little bit tighter, but I was missing a little bit wide, and he put me away. So credit to him.”

O’Rourke has had a rousing start to his Test career. This is his fifth Test and he has already picked up 26 wickets at 18.84, which includes two five-fors. Fifteen of his 26 wickets have been in the subcontinent. He had an excellent tour of Sri Lanka last month where he picked up eight wickets in two Tests, and has continued his good run in India.

“I think we had a really good prep in Tauranga and down in Lincoln,” he said about his success in the subcontinent. “We had a few wickets that were a bit drier than probably what we are used to at that time of the year in New Zealand. And yeah, learning from the guys like Matt Henry, Tim Southee, who have been here before and done it before, it’s been massive for me coming here.”

In the first innings here, O’Rourke picked up four wickets, including Virat Kohli’s for a duck.

“It’s obviously pretty special getting someone so great, one of the greats of our game, out like that,” he said of the Kohli wicket. “You grow up watching those guys. So to come here and take that wicket, it’s probably right up there as one of the [best] wickets I’ve got.”

While O’Rourke has been pleasantly surprised by the bounce he has seen on the Bengaluru surface, he is also loving bowling with the SG ball.

“It has got a bit more of a pronounced seam than the Kookaburra [that New Zealand use at home], so it seems to be nice and hard to start with. It goes through nicely and big seams are always a big plus. [It’s] my first time here and [Bengaluru] probably had a little bit more bounce, a bit more pace than we expected coming over here, which suits a bowler like me. So far, I’ve really enjoyed it.

“We definitely do our scouting and stuff before games. I’d say at the moment in my career, I’m more of a feel bowler. I like to back what I do, run in and do what I do. But definitely I have a look at the players beforehand, I like to know their strengths and weaknesses. But I think it normally comes back to just being me and doing what I do.”

Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo

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