Blackcaps vs India: Good Work Blackcaps
Having celebrated the beauty of watching Aotearoa flourish in home conditions with all of their modern legends in the playing 11 after the first Test vs India, it's more of the same here. The Blackcaps didn't exactly cruise to victory in what was a funky Test, yet they definitely served up another platter of glorious swing/seam bowling while scraping together enough runs to serve Tim Southee, Trent Boult and their seam bowling soldiers.
It's literally same shit, different Test. There isn't much more to be said about the abilities of Southee and Boult in Aotearoa as we saw the same recipe featuring movement in and away from batsmen, supreme control in terms of areas bowled and variety, then falling back on the full arsenal of bouncers to bully batsmen.
Here are their series numbers...
Southee: 14w @ 13.14avg/2.82rpo.
Boult: 11w @ 19.36avg/3rpo.
Here are some further notes on the best swingers I've seen...
After averaging 30+ (with the ball) in three straight years, Southee is currently on a three-year streak averaging under 30. That includes this year, so I'll keep an eye on this as we slide through the shift in consciousness of 2020.
In 12 years of Test cricket, Southee has taken 30+ wickets in a year, three times (2013, 2014, 2019). Southee's kinda half-way there already with 14w thus far in 2020.
Southee averages 27.19 in Aotearoa.
Southee averages 24.46 vs India; his third best average vs opponent.
Boult is in a four-year run of averaging sub-30.
Boult averages 24.44 in Aotearoa.
Both Boult and Southee have done their best work under Kane Williamson' captaincy.
Brendan McCullum as captain
Southee: 30.23avg. Boult: 29.15avg
Kane Williamson as captain
Southee: 24.61avg. Boult: 26.21avg.
This whole repetitive dose theme flows into Kyle Jamieson's performance as well, considering he went back to back in impressive Tests. Snaring a 5-for in the first innings, Jamieson finished with 9w @ 16.33avg/2.57rpo and 4th in runs for the Blackcaps, scoring more runs than Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme.
All the same: interesting bounce from different lengths, low key skills with his control and movement of the ball (skill) and Jamieson has now shown over the course of a month in international cricket that he's a niggly, feisty mofo. Obviously all seamers love a stare down and prickling the batsman, yet Jamieson came out the gate swinging with that energy.
Let's all chill on Jamieson a wee bit though. Players tend to do well in their first taste of international cricket as they are a fresh challenge, offering more unknown factors that established players. Then amplify that immensely with Jamieson's unique stature and it really isn't surprising that Jamieson was tough to face for the Indian batsman, as well as bowling to Jamieson - how often do you bowl to someone that tall? The lengths Jamieson bowls aren't common and it's the same with his batting as bowlers have to find a probing length that is different to every other batsman.
Many if not most athletes improve as they are exposed to higher levels of their sport and for Jamieson to bring his natural energy, executing at this level is a credit to him. Other than that, everything about Jamieson is perfectly suited to immediate impact in international cricket and how Jamieson works through having more scouting reports done on him, will be far more telling of his ceiling.
My feel here is that Jamieson's not bumping anyone out of the 1st 11. Jamieson isn't ousting de Grandhomme and along with Lockie Ferguson, then Matt Henry, when conditions suit the Blackcaps can operate with more seamers ahead of the spinner. While pockets of the population look for the quickie, hard and fast instant gratification, let's lean into a long-term/patient approach.
Enough runs were scored, not big runs, just enough. That's lovely and I'll touch on that below, it doesn't matter where the runs come from as long as enough runs are scored in favourable bowling conditions. Tom Latham went 50+ twice and Tom Blundell is low key doing his best in-form Jeet Raval impersonation...
Tom Blundell Balls Faced
First Test: 77, 113.
Second Test: 80, 6.
The Blackcaps didn't lose a wicket in the first 10 overs throughout this series and given that Latham's a world-class opener, Blundell's role here is a tad more intriguing. As long as Blundell is seeing off the new-ball, I'm chillin' and while Blundell has a gang of starts (20-40) in his brief career that can be viewed as a negative, this is all about limiting damage at the top and laying the foundations for Williamson and Taylor.
Blundell loves to hit the ball and after doing his primary job of batting 10/20 overs, I have no doubt that Blundell will stack up runs. The priority right now is laying the platform, Blundell's got a enticing counter-punching gear though that could be a funky aspect of the Blackcaps Test team.
Not everything is a delight in the Blackcaps batting line up though.
In eight games since mid-2019, Henry Nicholls is averaging 21.54. Two 40+ scores in 12inns, six scores under 20 including his 5* yesterday.
BJ Watling has scored 20+ just twice in the 8inns after the series vs England.
Both Nicholls and Watling have endured lean patches before. This is Nicholls' longest run without a 50+ score and is strangely in direct contrast to his recent white ball antics where he jacked up six consecutive innings of notable scores (five 50+, one 40+) in one-day cricket. Watling has averaged 30+ in every year of his 11-year career prior to this year and has consistently chucked a random 50/100+ score into the mix when appearing to be on the slide. While he's only at 22.82avg for 2020, like Nicholls, I suspect these two will suss their craft.
Overall, I enjoyed this series. I love low-scoring Test cricket and I struggle to see how anyone legit enjoys watching batsmen stack up runs on pitches that do nothing. When the ball is moving, the best batsmen deal with it and then score runs, while we as fans get to enjoy the variety of skills on offer from the bowlers. Flat pitches and batting conditions are boring.
This series saw just one innings in which 300+ runs were scored. This second Test featured four innings of sub-250 scores and it was a pleasure to watch the bowlers from either team do their thing, while seeing batsmen figure out ways to cope. I view this as perfect Test cricket and this, combined with competitive personalities and good crowds serves as a reminder that Test cricket is the best thing about cricket.
As for the bro Virat Kohli...
I love Virat Kohli. Ol' mate didn't score the runs he needed to in this Test and just like many legendary spinner has struggled in Australia, there is no shame in legendary batsmen struggling in Aotearoa. Kohli makes Test cricket fun, he loves the game and brings together a intense competitive spirit and humility into a yummy boil up. In a world where everything is black or white, you're this side or that side and similar bull-kaka, being insanely competitive and humble is possible; just like it's possible and favourable to enjoy all sides of a matter, spending time in the grey area.
Kohli was at the forefront of some funky antics from India. This is not surprising when you lead a very good cricket team that is being touched up, en route to 2-0 series sweep. Personally, I noted Kohli doing a weird slow-clap between balls, strolling towards the batsman from slip while clapping and shouting, which sets the tone for his comrades to take this further with niggly antics.
Kohli is then open and honest about his team and how the series went. Us kiwis love to live on our high-horse and this is most evident with mainstream media and non-sporting Blackcaps fans, who view everything through their lovely, warm-fuzzy lens. International sport is a fucking beast, on the field nearly anything goes and the best thing about sport at all levels is that you can be an intense battle with your opponent, where boundaries are pushed and then when you leave that arena, it's high-fives, beers, bongs and respect.
India did some weird shit in this Test and they went hard at the Blackcaps to find some kind of advantage. I have no doubt that both teams enjoyed each other's company afterwards, had a giggle about it all and shared their mana. Kia kaha.
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Peace and love 27.