Runs and wickets in two formats launched the tall quick bowler’s international career
Chinmay Vaidya11-Aug-2020When debutant Kyle Jamieson came to the crease in New Zealand’s second ODI of a three-match series against India they were 197 for 8 after 41.3 overs. Ross Taylor was at the other end, but needed some support to help New Zealand post a competitive total.So what was going through Jamieson’s mind?”If I’m honest, I wanted to get off the mark. I wanted to get a run and that was about as much as I was thinking,” Jamieson told ESPNcricinfo. “Just don’t get out, just try and get off the mark. At least you can say you got an international run.”Jamieson did slightly better than get off the mark. He contributed an unbeaten 25 to a 76-run stand to take New Zealand to 273.”We weren’t in great shape at that point,” Jamieson said. “It actually makes your role a lot simpler, [thinking] how do we get through the 50 overs and then as we move on, how do I keep getting Ross on strike?”ALSO READ: Who is the future of New Zealand’s batting? Peter Fulton picks four namesHowever, Jamieson’s job wasn’t done. Playing in the team as a bowler, he was largely responsible for defending New Zealand’s score. Although India’s usual openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were out due to injury, Jamieson knew how dangerous youngster Prithvi Shaw was.”We were lucky we played an A series the week before which sort of enabled me to seen guys like Prithvi Shaw and play against them for a few times,” he said. “He took us to the cleaners in a couple of those games so I was just like, alright, don’t want to give him too much, don’t want to start off my international career from a bowling point of view going for too many boundaries.”Kyle Jamieson roars after getting a wicket in his first over on debut•Getty ImagesShaw, playing in his second ODI, started off strongly with six boundaries in the first four overs. New Zealand made their first bowling change and gave the ball to Jamieson. In his first over as an international bowler, he knocked over Shaw’s stumps to deliver the breakthrough.”To get that first wicket, [it was] very emotional, but it also just gets you into the game,” he added. “Right, I’m underway, I can come back to my role.”After dismissing Navdeep Saini late in the contest to pick up his second wicket, Jamieson was awarded Man of the Match. His 25 proved to be crucial in a 22-run win for the home side.New Zealand swept the one-day series 3-0 then attention turned to the two World Test Championship matches. Having come off a dismal tour against Australia – losing 3-0 with defeats by 296 runs, 247 runs and 279 runs – during which Jamieson was called up as an injury replacement but did not play, they needed to bounce back quickly against India.The No. 1-ranked Test side were still a major threat despite some injuries and appeared to be running away with the WTC six months into the competition. Given each match was worth 60 points in the standings, the series could’ve essentially sealed, signed and delivered India to the WTC final.For Jamieson, this was the next challenge. It’s one thing to perform well in two limited-overs matches; it’s another to bring that effort consistently over five days.As it turned out, five days ended up being too optimistic for India. Jamieson took four wickets on debut in Wellington, including Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, but his signature moment arrived in the second Test in Christchurch when he claimed his maiden five-wicket haul.”As a fan of the Blackcaps team and watching the Test side being so settled for so long with some world class players, to kind of all of sudden be sitting in that dressing room and winning a Test match, it’s something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” he said. “Just being able to soak up that experience of playing such a world-class team like India and being in our dressing room and being able to find a way to contribute to a couple of Test wins.”The wickets were only part of Jamieson’s contributions. He made 44 in the first Test and came one run short of a half-century in the second. After his runs in his ODI debut, Jamieson was showcasing his batting prowess in the Test format.Kyle Jamieson scythes one through the covers•Getty Images”I think we saw in both those Tests how vital lower order runs can,” Jamieson said. “Whilst our main roles as bowlers is to take wickets and to restrict runs, if you can add 10, 20, 30 runs, it’s very important.”Jamieson sees himself developing as an allrounder, although he admits he’s more of a “net batter than a match batter” at this stage of his career. “I grew up as a batter mostly and it’s certainly one of my loves. I’m still trying to master it. I’ve got a passion for it and I love working on it.”All four matches Jamieson played resulted in New Zealand victories and he earned two Man of the Match awards. For the 25-year old, the stature of his team-mates was just as memorable as his early success on the pitch.”It’s pretty weird when you think about it, really. I remember that 2015 World Cup just how the whole nation got in behind that and it was such an awesome ride and I think everyone was so proud to be a Kiwi in that moment,” he said. “To play against those guys at the domestic level occasionally and then just to be sitting in the dressing room with guys that have been playing for a fair chunk of the time I’ve been watching cricket, being involved in bowling meetings, it’s pretty special. It’s what you dream of as a kid and it’s a ‘pinch yourself’ moment.”It is still to be confirmed when New Zealand will resume international action, although November is shaping as a likely start to the home season, but Jamieson’s future looks bright. “[It was] certainly a crazy three or four weeks,” he said. “I don’t even know now if I can really believe how it kind of all unfolded.”
