The 23-year-old removed three of Sri Lanka’s top four on the opening day of the first test, seizing early ascendancy for New Zealand before the hosts battled back ahead in the final session.
Sri Lanka are set to begin day two on 302-7, boosted by a fourth century in seven tests for rising star Kamindu Mendis. Given the Galle pitch typically deteriorates late in the match, they will be confident that base can be converted into a vital win.
The Black Caps, like their opponents chasing a victory their World Test Championship campaign needs, will have to hope their spinners can take greater advantage of favourable second-innings conditions.
But they now also know O’Rourke can adroitly complement any spin spree, both later in this contest and in next week’s second test at the same venue.
New Zealand were defeated convincingly on each of their previous four visits to Galle, the last a six-wicket loss in their most recent test tour to Sri Lanka in 2019. Ajaz Patel claimed a five-wicket bag in that first innings while a pace attack of Tim Southee and Trent Boult shared four across the match.
Five years later, Patel was almost held wicketless on day one while O’Rourke, with 3-54, was easily the most effective touring bowler.
The Cantabrian began the morning by receiving only his third test cap, preferred to Matt Henry in support of his skipper.
Henry had been the Black Caps’ top performer last summer but O’Rourke’s point of difference was clear when bursting on the test scene against South Africa at Seddon Park, where his extra bounce brought a record haul.
After returning a match figures of 9-93 – a new best mark by a New Zealander on debut – O’Rourke’s second test was rather less successful.
A hamstring forced him from the bowling crease against Australia at the Basin Reserve, and just when the Black Caps had seemed blessed with another towering paceman, any comparisons to Kyle Jamieson became a little more painful to consider.
But with New Zealand playing their first test since the 2-0 series defeat by their neighbours in March, O’Rourke showed he should be one of the team’s key figures for the remainder of the year.
It took the 1.97m quick two overs to spark that possibility, needing two deliveries to dismiss 95-test opener Dimuth Karunaratne. Both were short but the second teasingly seamed away, the batter able only to edge through to Tom Blundell.
Uncommonly for Galle International Stadium, the conditions were aiding the seamers’ early efforts, with green patches initially visible on what would prove a good surface.
It was still indisputably a bat-first pitch but O’Rourke belied his inexperience by extracting movement and executing plans. The right-armer also found more pace than he had at home, breaching 145km/h while keeping his average speed in the high-130s.
Bowling with attacking intent, O’Rourke did leak runs as Sri Lanka started fast, but the approach paid off when setting up Pathum Nissanka with the short ball before crashing an inswinging yorker into the opener’s off stump.
Angelo Mathews was O’Rourke’s next victim – twice. First the veteran was rapped on the glove by a short ball that nipped back, continuing in clear pain before retiring hurt. Then, after Mathews had returned to the crease in the middle session, O’Rourke was reintroduced just before tea and induced another edge.
Unfortunately for the Black Caps, no other bowler was similarly incisive. In increasingly common fashion, Glenn Phillips (2-52) was the best of the spinners, unleashing prodigious turn to remove Dhananjaya de Silva and enjoying a slice of luck to add Kusal Mendis (50).
The latter looked like being the sole wicket in the final session, as Kamindu threatened to undo O’Rourke’s good work. But Patel, having too often missed his length earlier in the day, ripped one out of the footmarks and the centurion gloved to slip on the stroke of stumps.
Kamindu, who bowls spin with both arms, appears set to be a prominent figure for the next fortnight. The Black Caps will hope the same proves true for O’Rourke.
