1st Test: New ball did the trick for New Zealand on the fourth day, says pacer O’Rourke

Bengaluru: With India looking set to reach a big score in their second innings in the first Test, William O’Rourke, who led New Zealand’s fightback to dismiss the hosts for 462 on the fourth day, said the visitors were only thinking of creating more pressure hoping to make a breakthrough

Sarfaraz Khan (150) and Rishabh Pant (99) shared a 177-run partnership that took India to 408/3 in their second innings. With the hosts looking poised to reach a big total and set a stiff fourth-innings target, O’Rourke and Matt Henry bowled brilliant spells to claim three wickets apiece at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

India lost their seven wickets for 54 runs, leaving New Zealand needing 107 runs to win the first Test and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

O’Rourke said that with Sarfaraz and Pant going great guns, New Zealand wanted to create as much pressure as possible.

“Yeah, I think credit to them. They obviously batted very well and put us under a lot of pressure. I think we were a bit looser than what we probably wanted to be. I think with that softer ball, we want it to be nice and tight, tight to the stumps, trying to create as much pressure as we can. And then the spinners could maybe attack a little bit more. But, yeah, credit to them, they played really well. So we just wanted to create as much pressure as we could. And hopefully, get a few breakthroughs, but had to wait till the new ball for that,” said O’Rourke at the day-end press conference on Saturday.

O’Rourke, the 23-year-old right-arm fast bowler playing his first Test match in India, said the new ball did the trick for India as they fought back to take control of the match. The pacer said he was a bit hot and cold with the ball till the evening session, said the ball was doing a bit, and admitted he was a bit lucky as Pant chopped onto his wicket.

“Yeah, I think overall for me, I’ve been pretty streaky, pretty hot and cold with the ball. I think Pant and Sarfaraz obviously batted very well for a long time there. But that second new ball came on and started doing a little bit for us. Credit to Timmy (Tim Southee) getting that first breakthrough and then lucky enough to get a wee chop on there to sort of give us a bit of momentum going through,” said O’Rourke.

O’Rourke said the New Zealand were surprised a bit by the fact the wicket offered more pace than that they expected.

“(It is) my first time here, so probably had a little bit more balance but more pace than what we probably expected coming over here, which obviously suits a bowler like me. So far I’ve really enjoyed it,” he said.

He said the New Zealand bowlers had good preparation before they left for India and he learned a few things by prepping with experienced pacers Matt Henry and Tim Southee.

“I think we had a really good prep in Tarong and down in Lincoln, so had a few wickets that were a bit drier than probably what we used to at that time of the year in New Zealand. And yeah, learning from the guys like Matt Henry, and Tim Southee who’s been here before and done it before, it’s been massive for me coming here.

“I think as pace bowlers we’ve really enjoyed it. It’s got a bit more of a prominent seam than the Kookaburra, so it seems to be nice and hard to start with and goes through nicely and big seam. Always a big place,” said O’Rourke.

–IANS