Blackcaps in UAE: First Test Debrief
Test wins don't come around that often, given that Test cricket doesn't come around too often for the Blackcaps, let alone Test wins on foreign soil where a touring team needs to have a roster with the various skills to deal with funky conditions. We all love Test cricket and that's the most slept on aspect of the pursuit of Test cricket glory as you need to have the cricketers who can step up in different conditions. United Arab Emirates requires spinners, experienced seamers and batsmen who are comfortable with their craft.
There are heroes from this win in the first Test over Pakistan, most notably Ajaz Patel. I definitely don't want this to come across as brushing Patel's impact and performance on debut aside as it's fairly monumental, testament to his perseverance and mahi on the domestic circuit. The overall vibe I'm left with from Aotearoa's performance was how the different parts came together and how - from the outside - there appeared to be an environment conducive to bringing in a debutant to contribute asap.
This starts with the ol' body language and mystical energies of the Blackcaps. Everything was delightful and I'm not sure, or can't remember how this flows back to the previous regime so it would be unfair to compare, however this Blackcaps group looked as though they were having the time of their lives. Obviously when that review came through positive for the winning wicket, joy is going to be in abundance; throughout the Test the Blackcaps operated with the same energy and that energy soon became the grit, to fight and claw their way back into their contest.
I'd sum that up by coach Gary Stead's joy at the end, when the Test was won. Stead looked like a kid who was happy to be there, happy to be at the pinnacle of Blackcaps Test cricket and need we remember that this Stead lad has just won his first Test as coach, overseas. Despite many instances where the Blackcaps looked out of the contest, their energy never changed and this is why we are all still high on the Test cricket herb.
Maybe I'm going too hundies on this idea, but I've consumed a bit of content lately about how coaching at a high level is more about how you bring a group together and get them playing for something greater than their individual needs. It's all about getting those last few drops of tomato sauce out of the bottle, which is done through the coach's ability to unite a group. Stead has done that fairly quickly and he's also done so, with a Test group that is super settled and Stead has opened them up to his way.
Prior to the fourth day, Kane Williamson hit 63 when no other Blackcap scored more than Henry Nicholls' 28. Williamson took the first innings total up to what now feels like a somewhat competitive 153 and when times are tough, the best batsmen drag their team with them.
Then came Trent Boult's 4 wickets, including the key wickets of Azhar Ali (95 balls), Asad Shafiq (93 balls) and Babar Azam (109 balls). Even in this innings though, Boult's haul comes with the four other Blackcaps bowlers taking a wicket each, planting the seed for what we would see later with the bowlers combining to take wickets as a group.
Jeet Raval then hit 46, Nicholls hit 55 and BJ Watling 59 to keep the Blackcaps in the game. Williamson also played a solid innings of 37 and these contributions, like all the contributions were crucial in the fighting process. The leading run-scorer from this Test for both teams was Williamson, again reminding us of what the best batsmen do.
Then the magic innings, where Patel and Ish Sodhi took 2w each along with a wicket from Neil Wagner to dismiss Pakistan's top-five; Azhar Ali batted #3 and was the last wicket to fall. Patel did what he's done for numerous years in Plunket Shield as he landed flighted deliveries on a niggly length, attacking the stumps at every opportunity.
Patel did take a 5-for in that innings, to seal the victory. The beauty of this win though is in the steady contributions from everyone, throughout the game. Even Colin de Grandhomme, he took the first wicket of the Test with the new ball and in a low-scoring Test, any runs are low key important allowing for those who struggled (Tom Latham, Ross Taylor and de Grandhomme) to feel the vibes.
This was a Blackcaps Test team, designed specifically for the situation. Even without Mitchell Santner, two spinners were used and they both did their jobs admirably. The batsmen clawed their way to some level of competition and when we ponder the players in the group who didn't play (Southee, Santner, Matt Henry) there a tweaks that can be made for different conditions, opposition and situations.
How coach Stead uses the group moving forward is going to be of huge intrigue. The second Test is obviously going to look fairly similar, if not the same, but the general takeaway seems to be a cheeky nod to the growing depth in Aotearoa. This group, isn't just a couple of world-class players who sporadically win a Test for the Blackcaps and instead, we got steady contributions from the whole group. That's a salute to Stead as coach and the environment created by the players.
Hit an ad to support the Blackcaps yarns.
Or jump on Patreon and support the Niche Cache directly, we drop bonus stuff for the Patrons and take care of the homies.
Peace and love 27.