Black Caps selection coin toss
Two months ago Ajaz Patel was New Zealand’s fourth-ranked test spinner, unwanted in Australia. Now, after a curious series of events, he’s in line for a dream first test against his country of birth.
The Central Stags left-armer joins seamer Kyle Jamieson and allrounder Daryl Mitchell, confirmed yesterday as the final pieces of the Black Caps 13-man squad puzzle for the first test against India starting in Wellington on Friday.
For coach Gary Stead and captain Kane Williamson the big question now is: which one of that trio takes the final spot in an otherwise predictable XI at the Basin Reserve, where home spinners have often toiled fruitlessly.
The squad assembles in the capital today with pace spearhead Trent Boult making a welcome return from a broken right hand suffered in the Boxing Day test, and local lad Tom Blundell confirmed to continue opening at the scene of his test debut century.
Opener Jeet Raval, spinner Mitchell Santner and seamer Matt Henry all paid the price for the Black Caps’ 3-0 test series hiding from Australia.
Mumbai-born Patel made a stunning debut at age 30 in the 2-1 series win over Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
Patel took 22 wickets at 32 in his first seven tests but hasn’t featured since the series-levelling victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo in August.
Santner and Todd Astle were preferred in Australia, and were joined by offspinner Will Somerville who played the third test in Sydney.
Now Santner’s chances in test cricket have run out after he was savaged in Perth and Melbourne; Astle abruptly retired from firstclass cricket when a lock-in to face India and Somerville is out after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery.
So Patel is back, on his domestic record and test performances a safer bet than Ish Sodhi his only realistic challenger.
Then there’s the Wellington factor to consider, and what kind of pitch is presented.
In Patel’s only Basin Reserve test – against Sri Lanka in December, 2018 – he wheeled down 31 overs and took 0-60 on a very flat one.
In New Zealand’s last Wellington test, a three-day win over Bangladesh in March, they went without a spinner as they did against India in 2014 when allrounders Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham both played.
The 2.03m Jamieson enters the equation for a test debut, then, if Stead and Williamson feel they can attack India with his bounce after an impressive first two
ODIs. Speedster Lockie Ferguson (calf) is not deemed ready for a test return, while Boult’s return reunites the Big Three, along with Tim Southee and Neil Wagner.
Jamieson could potentially bat No 8, between Colin de Grandhomme and Southee, if the Black Caps want a four-pronged pace attack plus de Grandhomme’s medium pacers.
‘‘With a squad of 13 we’ve put a priority on balance and making sure we have the needed variety and different options depending on the pitch conditions at the Basin Reserve,’’ Stead said in a statement.
‘‘Kyle will offer us a point of difference with the bounce he could extract on what is traditionally a good surface in Wellington.
‘‘We’re excited to welcome back Ajaz who has done a great job for us overseas and has a proven domestic record in New Zealand conditions.
‘‘Daryl showed his batting prowess in his test debut against England in Hamilton and he naturally offers us great versatility with the different roles he can play.’’
Allrounder Mitchell is the designated batting backup, an outside chance to sneak into the XI if they want to bolster the batting and not play a spinner as they did in 2014.
He scored 73 against England on test debut for the injured de Grandhomme in November, and an unbeaten century for New Zealand A against India A this month.
Kyle Jamieson has been firing on all cylinders since returning home to Auckland this summer – and it’s paying off big time.
The tall seamer was included in the Black Caps’ 13-man squad yesterday for the test series against India, his latest achievement in a season full of them.
Standing on Eden Park Outer Oval, where he helped the Aces win the Ford Trophy on Sunday, he explained just how important his move north from Canterbury – his home for the past six seasons – had been.
‘‘I was just in a place with my cricket where I wasn’t enjoying it and wasn’t really liking the person I was in the field sometimes as well.
‘‘It was just a shift that I needed to make – I thought that, most importantly, I needed to be happy and I needed to enjoy my cricket and then wherever that might take me, it would.
‘‘It’s certainly paid off for me and I’m very happy at the moment. It’s been massive for my game and long may it continue.’’
Delving into specifics, Jamieson revealed he had sometimes found himself questioning his own actions in the middle.
‘‘I’m a pretty fiery character, I’m pretty aggressive, and I think it just sort of came out in ways that I didn’t necessarily like.
‘‘I’d do it, then post-game be like ‘What am I doing that for?’
‘‘There was just a bit of negativity surrounding myself in that environment and that was coming out in my behaviour on the field.
‘‘I looked at that and said I want to be happy on the field and I want to make sure that I’m getting better every day and getting comfortable with myself, so that regardless of whatever level I play at, I can be happy.
‘‘The shift up has been massive for that and it’s worked out a lot better than I could have imagined.’’
Jamieson added that he had been working with NZ Cricket’s mental skills coach, Pete Sanford, over the past four years or so, in order to better understand himself.
‘‘That mental space is such an important part of life, not just as a cricketer, and that’s something I’m always tapping into, to keep things in check.’’
The first sign Jamieson was set to make another move – from domestic cricket to the international scene – came in December when he joined the Black Caps in Melbourne with Lockie Ferguson injured, Trent Boult battling a niggle, and Tim Southee and Neil Wagner shouldering heavy burdens.
He didn’t feature on that tour, but was called up for the recent one-day series against India, scoring 25 and taking 2-42 on debut at Eden Park, then following up with figures of 1-51 at Bay Oval.
To get on the field when the first test at the Basin Reserve starts on Friday, Jamieson will probably need to be picked as a fourth seamer, alongside Boult, Southee and Wagner, which isn’t out of the question.
Regardless of whether he plays, he is looking forward to soaking up as much as he can from the experienced seam trio, just as he did in Australia.
‘‘Those guys are the ultimate professionals in the way that they prepare for a game and do recovery.
‘‘The difference between domestic and international is that there’s a lot more pressure on, so you’ve got to find that balance between having a laugh and enjoying it and still taking it seriously.
‘‘It’s something that the whole group in general has got pretty spot on – they’re three pretty good guys, and I’d be pretty silly not to try to tap into them.’’