Pacer Matt Henry celebrated a remarkable five-wicket haul on Thursday but stressed that New Zealand must maintain their intensity to secure a positive outcome against India in the first Test. Henry, alongside fellow pacer William O’Rourke, who claimed four wickets, dismantled the Indian batting lineup on the second day of the match. Speaking at the post-day press conference, Henry expressed his satisfaction but remained cautious.
“Well, I think we were going to bat first too, so probably a good toss to lose. It was quite nice when those clouds started coming in after the toss was done, but I think we were expecting it to be probably a flatter wicket, but there was plenty of assistance this morning, so it was great that we could make the most of it,” said Henry after the day’s play.
Reflecting on the team’s strategy, Henry added, “We talked about being relentless with the ball, and being patient, and I think that was probably something that we looked to do, and thankfully it came off,” he said about the bowling approach in India.
“When you come here, you’re watching how the best in the world operate, and usually discipline is second to none. The accuracy, they’re just relentless. It may not happen in the first spell or the second spell, but they keep coming back, and the same as India have done it for a number of years. And watching how they go about their work here, they bring the stumps in play, and they’re able to make themselves a threat throughout, whether it’s a flat wicket or not. So coming here, that was something we discussed, was making sure that we are relentless and try to apply as much pressure as long as we can,” he further explained.
O’ROURKE’S HEIGHT THE X FACTOR
Henry also praised his Canterbury teammate O’Rourke for his impactful performance, highlighting the advantages his height brings to the bowling attack.
“I think his height’s the X factor right there, isn’t it? He gets a lot of bounce and he uses that height at the crease as well, so as you see, he gets a lot of steep bounce off quite a full length as well, making it really uncomfortable, especially with the ball coming into the right-hander,” Henry said.
“I think something that is great about him is that he keeps his pace up as well, he keeps coming in for the team, and he’s done that for Canterbury, and there’s no surprise that he’ll do the same when he came up to New Zealand. He’s just had a fantastic start, and I’m absolutely stoked for him,” he said.
Despite New Zealand’s dominance, Henry admitted that they would have chosen to bat first if they had won the toss, echoing the decision made by Indian skipper Rohit Sharma.
