Sears must play as Caps look to bounce back
When Gary Stead said on February 24 that Ben Sears “could be a test player in the future”, it's a safe bet he wasn't expecting that to become a reality on March 8 – less than two weeks later.
But that's what must happen as the Black Caps face Australia in Christchurch from Friday, trying to win a home transTasman test for the first time since 1993.
The Wellington Firebirds speedster has been brought into the New Zealand squad as a like-for-like replacement for Will O'Rourke, who suffered a hamstring injury in the 172-run defeat in the first test in Wellington.
O'Rourke has for the most part taken to test cricket like a duck to water – apart from the odd time on day one at the Basin Reserve, where his radar was faulty and it seemed a few nerves were showing.
Otherwise, his 11 wickets – nine in the seven-wicket win over South Africa in Hamilton and two against Australia – have
made him the Black Caps' second-highest wicket-taker, behind fellow seamer Matt Henry with 14.
Combine the 22-year-old's return with that of injured seamer Kyle Jamieson – who he replaced after the 281-run win over South Africa in Mount Maunganui – and you have a composite seamer who has taken 17 wickets at an average of 17.
Those will be big shoes for Sears to fill if he steps into that role in Christchurch. While the like-for-like logic is sound, and the 26-year-old's first-class numbers are strong in general – 58 wickets at 27 from 19 matches – in four outings this season with Wellington, he has just nine at 39.
The hope will be that he can have the kind of impact he has shown in Twenty20 internationals against Bangladesh, Pakistan and Australia this summer, taking 10 wickets at 19 across six innings of bowling.
If the Black Caps are to halt Australia’s seven-match winning streak in tests against them, they will need Sears to make an immediate impact.
They are likely to go with four seamers at Hagley Oval, having done so in the last six tests there. They would be captain Tim Southee, Henry, Sears and Scott Kuggeleijn, who was toothless in his return to the team at the Basin, even allowing for the excuse offered up that he bowled a lot into the wind.
The biggest factor putting pressure on Sears to perform immediately is the fact that Southee is having a summer to forget, taking just four wickets at an average of 80 in the three tests so far.
The Black Caps and Australia will get their first look at the Hagley Oval pitch today. There will be plenty of intrigue after the hosts misread conditions in
Wellington and Hamilton, leaving Mitchell Santner out – first in favour of Neil Wagner, who has since retired, then in favour of Kuggeleijn.
A hot, dry summer seems to have produced different surfaces, but whether that will also be the case in Christchurch – generally the seam-friendliest of New Zealand’s cricket venues – remains to be seen.
One upshot is that the Black Caps’ spin bowlers – Santner, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra – have taken a larger share of the home team’s wickets – 35% – than in any previous summer.
Given Kuggeleijn’s struggles in Wellington, including Santner over him for the second test looks like the smarter move anyway. He would provide more control, and complement off-spinner Phillips by turning the ball away from right-handers.
One thing’s for certain: Sears must play. The Black Caps need something different.