Michael and Kyle Jamieson ahead of the first test at the Basin Reserve. Photo / Photosport
Michael and Kyle Jamieson ahead of the first test at the Basin Reserve. Photo / Photosport
Kyle Jamieson initially wasn't sure whether he'd making his test debut in Wellington today.
The fourth-choice seamer in the Black Caps' test squad to play India, Jamieson's chances of playing at the Basin Reserve looked slim at first, relying on the selection of an all-seam attack for the first test.
Then, when Neil Wagner was ruled out to stay home for the birth of his daughter, Jamieson's dream quickly became a reality – and also forced a quick change of his plans for his father.
Michael Jamieson, who had missed out on attending his son's ODI debut in Auckland earlier this month, was determined not to miss a test debut, and rapidly made arrangements.
"I found out yesterday afternoon about 1pm, I grabbed a ticket, arrived down here in the morning and got to the ground just in time to see warm-ups," Jamieson told D'Arcy Waldegrave on Radio Sport.
"I was pretty determined that I was going to be at this one, for the whole time."
He was delighted with what he witnessed as well, with his son removing Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Hanuma Vihari to end the day with 3-38, and putting India in trouble at 122-5.
Michael and Kyle Jamieson ahead of the first test at the Basin Reserve. Photo / Photosport
The older Jamieson, who played premier cricket for Papatoetoe and represented New Zealand at the Over-50 World Cup, said that his son's preparation and improved fitness have been two of the keys to his rapid rise over the past few months.
"He prepares really well and once he gets into the middle of the park he knows what he's got to do – it doesn't matter the level, he goes through the same sort of routines. After talking to him after his [ODI] debut in Auckland the other day he said he was very nervous before the game – I understand he was again today – but once he gets on the park it just becomes another game of cricket, just with a bigger crowd.
"He's really started to get a bit stronger in the last couple of years, and that's really helped with [avoiding] injuries. Before he was a tall lanky lad with not a huge amount of muscle, and he's worked hard on that in the gym which has helped to support his frame."
Even with Wagner set to return for the second test in Christchurch, it will be hard to leave Jamieson out of the suddenly burgeoning fast-bowling mix, and both father and son had the same line to sum up a memorable opening to a test debut.
