Burps to bumpers for Wagner
Neil Wagner arrived as a test cricketer the first time he played India.
The lion-hearted left-arm seamer touched down in Christchurch yesterday, linking with his test team-mates after a whirlwind past week.
Wagner sat out New Zealand’s
10-wicket thumping of India in the first test in Wellington after he and wife Lana welcomed their first child, daughter Olivia, last Wednesday. Olivia had been due on Monday, but her late arrival meant the timeframe for the first test was too tight for Wagner, who stayed in Tauranga.
‘‘She didn’t want me to play the first test match by the looks of things. The little girl kept us waiting,’’ Wagner told Stuff.
A newborn baby has led to some sleepless nights over the last week, but Wagner was able to keep an eye on the Black Caps’ emphatic first-test victory.
‘‘I ended up watching more highlights than the full day’s play. I had the old Sky Go going on in the hospital, while changing the odd diaper and doing the old burps.’’
Testing himself against India’s potent batting lineup has always brought out the best in Wagner.
Playing India in a test for the first time in 2014 at Auckland’s Eden Park, Wagner, then in his
13th match, was critical in leading New Zealand to a memorable
40-run win. He achieved then testbest figures of 8-126 for the match, removing Indian skipper MS Dhoni twice, while also snaring Virat Kohli in the second innings and centurion Shikhar Dhawan.
It’s a performance Wagner considers significant, giving him the self-belief to succeed in international cricket.
Since then, he’s been a staple in New Zealand’s well-performed three-pronged pace attack, featuring senior new ball duo Trent Boult and Tim Southee.
The 33-year-old is fast closing in on the 50-test club with the second match at Hagley Oval, starting on Saturday, set to be his 48th.
‘‘It was a stage where I was still trying to find my feet in the team and trying to find a way of getting a role and doing my role in the team,’’ Wagner said of 2014.
‘‘That’s one of the test matches where it did turn. The way I bowl at the moment, that’s where it started.
‘‘It was an amazing test win and something I think it kickstarted my career. Before that I was going through the phase where you have quite a few ups and downs and try to find your feet.’’
Wagner has found his feet.
He’s tied for fourth on the test
well and
truly wicket-taking chart since the beginning of 2019, capturing 46 at a sharp average of just 18.89.
Australian quick Pat Cummins has the most wickets with 63 but Wagner has played six fewer tests, making his achievement even more remarkable.
Wagner sits second in the ICC test bowling rankings too, not bad for a lad from Pretoria, who moved to New Zealand in 2008 for greater cricket opportunities.
He is humble about his accolades and said it was testament to the collective bowling approach
At a glance
Most test wickets since the start of 2019:
■ 1. Pat Cummins (Australia) 63 wickets at 20.01 in 13 matches
■ 2. Nathan Lyon (Australia) 55 at
29.36 in 13 matches
■ 3. Stuart Broad (England) 52 at 24.07 in 14 matches
■ 4= Neil Wagner (New Zealand) 46 at
18.89 in 7 matches
■ 4= Mitchell Starc (Australia) 46 at
20.69 in 9 matches
■ 6. Tim Southee (New Zealand) 42 at
25.42 in 9 matches Source: ESPN Cricinfo of the Black Caps, where pressure is generated from both ends.
One match, Wagner might be among the wickets. Another it might be Boult, Southee, Colin de Grandhomme, or somebody else.
‘‘It’s been an amazing ride and I enjoy every moment. It’s an absolute privilege to play a test match, every time I get the opportunity,’’ test specialist Wagner said. ‘‘I’ve got a passion to do what I do.
‘‘As long as we keep taking 20 wickets and winning test matches, I’m very happy.’’