Indian batsmen will get a liberal dose of “chin music” in the second Test at the seamer-friendly Hagley Oval, senior New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner declared on Wednesday, harping on the visitors’ struggles when faced with pace and bounce.
Wagner pulled out of the first Test in order to be with his wife for the birth of their first child — daughter Olivia.
With India troubled by short balls bowled from round the wicket, the 33-year-old Wagner promised that they would employ the same strategy during the second and final Test starting Saturday.
“It’s obviously tough for them to come here and play where there is obviously a bit more bounce and pace,” said Wagner. “Obviously, playing in India where there is not that much bounce and pace around, it is something new for them to adapt to,” the left-arm pacer added.
Wagner, just like New Zealand’s coach Gary Stead, believes that Indians will be better in this game, but he expects the home side to be relentless in its endeavour to compound the agony for the visitors.
“Hopefully, we can keep the squeeze on and bowl the way we did in Wellington and if we can keep piling the pressure on, we will make the job easier for ourselves,” he said.
The series is a short one and that’s why it's taking time for the Indians to get used to Test match conditions. “... Sometimes when you tour overseas, it takes a match or two to get used to the conditions and adapt from there.
“No doubt they will be better and they will come back stronger. But definitely, we look forward to do what we do best in our conditions and keep fighting the way we did.”
Wagner was all praise for the towering Kyle Jamieson, who had a dream Test debut in Wellington. Wagner also justified the break he took.
“If she was going to be born early, hopefully on Monday, I would have definitely been with the team. But so be it. She wanted to try and stay a little bit longer and yeah, give her dad a little bit of a hard time,” the happy father was seen grinning from ear to ear.