Comforts of home suit Black Caps
More than most teams, the West Indies know how daunting a cricket tour of New Zealand can be.
It wasn’t always the case, like in 1995 when a team including greats Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul hammered their hosts by an innings and 322 runs at the Basin Reserve.
That one-sided affair 25 years ago was also the last time they won a test on New Zealand shores.
Kane Williamson will lead his Black Caps onto the Basin tomorrow riding a 14-test unbeaten streak at home, after their innings and 134-run victory over the West Indies in the first test in Hamilton.
That’s a record run, beating two streaks of 13 from March 1987 to January 1992, and March 2012 to February 2016, and contributes to the argument for the current test lineup to be known as New Zealand’s best. It also matches India’s current unbeaten streak at home.
Since Williamson first led them in a test at home, in November 2016, the Black Caps have won 14 from 20 and tasted defeat just once, when South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj ran through them at the Basin in March 2017.
That 70 per cent win rate in home tests under Williamson stacks up with any host nation in the same period. India have won 16 from 21 (76.2 per cent) and Australia 16 from 22 (72.7 per cent) at home since November 2016.
Australia and India remain the favourites to contest the inaugural World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June but if New Zealand keep winning they’re in with a chance of nudging out either Australia or India if there’s a one-sided series across the Tasman.
New Zealand pace bowler Neil Wagner said they fiercely protected their proud home record.
‘‘Every team around the world is tough in their home conditions. To go away and get a win is huge. It’s one that you treasure the most. At home you can create a tough environment to play, the same as what we experience overseas.’’
When Neil Wagner returned to No 2 in the world test bowling rankings this week, a spot he first occupied a year ago, he was tagged in a light-hearted Instagram message from Stuart Broad.
‘‘Take it easy @neilwagner13,’’ the England seamer wrote, having been dislodged to No 3.
Wagner laughed along and, as he admitted at the Basin Reserve in Wellington yesterday, two days out from his 50th test, he still wasn’t sure how to react to his lofty perch behind Australia’s Pat Cummins.
‘‘Yeah, tough one. It’s nice, a reflection of having some good form of recent times and contributing to some performances, but it also feels a little bit unreal,’’ Wagner said.
‘‘There’s a lot of quality bowlers who are better than me who are down the ranks. Hopefully I can keep contributing and help win games for New Zealand, that’s the main thing for me.’’
Wagner turns 35 in March, having made his test debut in the Caribbean eight years ago.
As the rankings suggest, the left-armer is improving with age.
Wagner’s secret, says Black Caps bowling coach Shane Jurgensen, is hardly rocket science: hard toil in the nets and the gym to prepare for one of sport’s most physically taxing roles.
‘‘That’s the key for all of our bowlers who’ve been in the test team for a while; the work they do off the field with their fitness. Neil made the adjustment eight years ago, that shift in terms of getting fit and strong,’’ Jurgensen said.
‘‘He’ll bowl 8-10 overs in the nets, as he did with me at Bay Oval during the winter, and next minute he’s doing sprints and next
minute he’s at the gym. Then when he’s been injured he’s been playing golf, working his way back.
‘‘His attitude is infectious, what he does for the team in terms of wanting to bowl all the time and constantly improve his game.’’
Indeed, Wagner emphasised he was no one-trick pony relying on relentless bodyline tactics, producing lethal inswingers to West Indies batsmen that Trent Boult would have been proud of.
As a unit the New Zealand bowlers continue to set the standard for their team, with Tim Southee fourth on the world test rankings (65 wickets at 22.4 the last two years), and Boult 12th (47 wickets at 26.1 in the same period).
Throw in new sensation Kyle Jamieson and his inswingers, steep bounce and aggression, and the West Indies batsmen have their gloves full trying to somehow level the series when the second test starts tomorrow.
Wagner will receive his 50th cap tonight and there may be some misty eyes in the house.
‘‘I’m getting goosebumps when you mention it. Quite emotional, all the sacrifices and everything you’ve done to be here and play 50 test matches. It means a lot.
‘‘Pretty stoked about it and nice to have my family here to share that moment with me.’’