Jamieson’s role in spotlight
New Zealand are considering elevating Kyle Jamieson to No 7 in the batting order for the World Test Championship final against India, as a decision between Ajaz Patel and Colin de Grandhomme looms amid forecasts of wild weather.
Coach Gary Stead yesterday confirmed his final 15 names for Friday night’s (9.30pm NZT) decider at the Ageas Bowl near Southampton, as Mitchell Santner, Daryl Mitchell, Doug Bracewell, Rachin Ravindra and Jacob Duffy were cut from the extended 20-man squad who beat England 1-0.
With captain Kane Williamson (elbow) and wicketkeeper BJ Watling (back) given a clean bill of health by Stead after both trained freely on Monday, that leaves a likely choice between left-arm spinner
Patel and swing bowling allrounder de Grandhomme on test eve.
Patel forced his way past Santner as the side’s first-choice spinner with a compelling return to test cricket at Edgbaston, taking 4-59 off 23 overs in New Zealand’s eight-wicket victory.
With Stead expecting the Southampton pitch to favour spin ‘‘at some stage’’, and India to likely play dual spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Patel looks a strong chance to face his country of birth. Stead felt Patel bowled ‘‘beautifully’’ in the second test, in a country where the pitches favour attacking spinners more than New Zealand.
That would mean no room for de Grandhomme, if the Black Caps were intent on maintaining their lethal four-pronged pace attack from the home summer, and an elevation for Jamieson.
The towering allrounder made his debut at No 9 against India at Wellington in February last year, and in his first seven tests snared 39 wickets at 15, and scored 235
Black Caps squad for the World Test Championship final against India (Friday 9.30pm NZT): Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel, Trent Boult, Matt Henry, Tom Blundell, Will Young.
Released: Doug Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner.
runs at 47. No 8 is the highest spot he’s occupied in the batting order.
‘‘I’ve got a lot of faith in Kyle. He hasn’t yet done it at test level but he’s developing nicely. In time that’s ultimately where we see Kyle could end up, or push his boundaries to get up to that level. That would allow us to look at the team slightly differently,’’ Stead said.
‘‘Right now we’ll wait and see. It’s one of the options that is definitely on the table. When you face India, who are a very, very strong test team, you want to make sure you’ve got the best balance. We’ll wait till probably the day before, before we finalise our XI and that will be simple around the weather and pitch conditions.’’
Mitchell was the unluckiest omission, as the superior batsman to de Grandhomme, but ICC regulations meant a 15-man squad limit.