Kyle Jamieson makes his mark as World Test Championship final hangs in the balance

SAM DALLING AT THE AGEAS BOWL: Jamieson is Frankenstein’s bowler: height, power and enough pace to hurry when needed. Despite his bulk, he barely seems to break a sweat as he works

Southampton: India 217, New Zealand 101-2 - New Zealand trail by 116 runs with eight first-innings wickets remaining

Scorecard

“Outstanding Kyle,” bellowed BJ Watling from behind the stumps midway through the morning session. And he was spot on.

Jamieson happened to be in the middle of a six-over spell that yielded 2 for 12 and gave New Zealand the start they had craved. Watling’s cry – audible from the back of the Shane Warne stand - could have come at any point Jamieson had ball in hand.  

Among his victims was opposition skipper Virat Kohli and the ever-dangerous Rishabh Pant to stop India dead in their tracks. By the time Jamieson led the New Zealanders off the field to a standing ovation half-an-hour after lunch, he had 5 for 31 from 22 overs. It was his fifth such haul in only his eighth Test.  

Jamieson is Frankenstein’s bowler: height, power and enough pace to hurry when needed. Despite his bulk, he barely seems to break a sweat as he works. An action that uses minimal energy enables him to operate for slightly longer than most bowlers of his build.   

Coupled with his ability with the bat – he started his first-class career as an opener – it is easy to see why he commanded the fourth highest fee in IPL history when Royal Challengers Bangalore secured his services for £1.48m in April.

That came after the dream start to life as Test cricketer.

An impressive debut series against India shortly before the novel coronavirus took hold saw Jamieson grab nine wickets at 16.33, while he was instrumental in New Zealand, helping his country claim the four wins from four they required to reach this final. His 27 victims cost just 12.25 a piece, an 11-wicket match haul against Pakistan making him the first Kiwi in Test history to claim twin five-fors in a game.  

^{New Zealand have played themselves into a good position in Southampton}

The comparisons to fast-bowling greatness are already flowing freely. They should though be tempered with caution: he is a relative novice both in years and experience. But, inescapably, only two bowlers in history have reached 40 Test wickets at a cost of less than Jamieson’s 14.3. And GA Lohmann and JJ Ferris both bowed to Queen Victoria. 

That Kane Williamson turned to Jamieson to start both sessions was telling. True, he was marginally less frugal on Saturday (14 runs conceded in 14 overs), but that owed largely to a fuller length that brought the drive into play.  

After Saturday's display of inhibited heroism, the stage was set for Kohli’s 71st international hundred to mark a decade since a Test debut. Surely the cricketing gods would oblige? Hitting some pre-play throw downs towards a throng of googoo-eyed Indian fans before play appeared to set the tone.  

But it also rubbed off on Jamieson, who, three balls into his 16th over, released just his seventh delivery targeting the stumps. It cannoned into the pads and naturally Kohli reviewed. Collectively the crowd held its breath. There was no reprieve and their hero departed without adding to his overnight tally. Kohli and Jamieson are RCB teammates and, while the latter had a pair of Dukes balls in his Dubai kitbag, he allegedly turned down the offer of a warm-up net. Jamieson claimed coyly that the tournament was curtailed before the chance came: either way, avoidance served his interests well.  

If New Zealand were a little sloppy early on Saturday, they were outstanding on Sunday morning. At one point, 42 balls passed without a run from the bat. Even when Rishabh Pant finally wristy flicked the day’s opening boundary, the cheer was not to last. Two balls later, he flashed unnecessarily at a wide one, Tom Latham pouching high at second slip.  

The bowler let out a guttural roar. It was a display of aggression as controlled as his bowling throughout this game, testament to his desire for self-improvement in all areas. Ahead of the 2019 domestic season Jamieson switched from Canterbury to his home city Auckland, citing a need to escape an environment that he described as, at times, ‘toxic’. He was talking both about within the dressing room and in his personal life. And despite twice having dipped his toe in ICC hot water for over-zealous reactions, the signs here were that the work he has done with a psychologist on channelling his anger is paying off.  

It was to be one of those days where everything went New Zealand’s way. Even when a loose Colin de Grandhomme over immediately post-drinks relaxed the pressure valve, Neil Wagner barged his way in and screwed it tightly back into place. Sometimes a lack of subtly is no bad thing: Wagner’s field made no secret of the plan but that did not stop Ajinkya Rahane, who had batted beautifully until that point, chipping to Latham at square leg one short of a deserved half-century.  

Ravichandran Ashwin made a breezy 22 to take India past 200, but by the time the innings closed with Trent Boult strangling Ravindra Jadeja down leg, India had slipped from 149 for 3 to 217 all out. 

^{Rishabh Pant nicks off cheaply on Sunday}

New Zealand’s opening pair negotiated their way through 34 overs with relatively little alarm. Mohammed Shami was the likeliest of the pace quartet to make a break through, particularly during one testing six-over stint.  

First, he got one to rise and take Devon Conway’s handle, the ball lolloping up between third slip and gully, before a similar delivery took the shoulder of Tom Latham’s bat. Rahane was unable to reach it at gully despite an acrobatic attempt. A little dancing then for New Zealand, and it even had Kohli doing the bhangra at slip. 

Given there were two left-handers at the crease, it was inevitable that Ashwin would strike first. Watchful, economical, and excitable when he finally got one to turn, the off-spinner finally brought a false stroke from Latham, who drove into Kohli’s hands at short cover for 30.   

Equally as predictable though was that Devon Conway would not be flustered by the loss of his partner. This may be just his third match on this stage but there is already a sense of inevitable runs when he walks to the middle. His patient half-century, ended by Ishant Sharma late in the day, was his third 50-plus score in five innings and by close New Zealand had reached 101 for 2.  

This is developing into an intriguing contest. Monday's forecast is grim but the outlook for day five is brighter. As for day six... well, we will have to wait until Tuesday.