Former New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner has revealed the strategy behind his famous spell against India during the 2014 home Test series. Wagner delivered the iconic performance in the 1st Test, unsettling the likes of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, and MS Dhoni with his relentless bouncer attack.
New Zealand had set a target of 407 for India at Eden Park. India was cruising, as the surface had flattened out and batting seemed easy. Dhawan and Kohli built a crucial partnership, giving India a strong start in the high-scoring chase..
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Wagner Reveals How Short-Ball Plan Unsettled Kohli at Eden Park
However, it was Neil Wagner who broke the stand with his short-ball plan and continued to trouble the rest of the Indian line-up, putting them under immense pressure..
"This Test match, I remember the wicket being quite flat, but there was a bit of pace and bounce. Eden Park is quite small straight, but the square boundaries have helpful pockets.
I remember bowling a couple of bouncers and how they played it—particularly Kohli looked a bit unsettled. He didn't know if he should take it on or not, or how to play it," Wagner said on a podcast.
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His first breakthrough came with the dismissal of Virat Kohli, who under-edged a pull shot on a short-pitched delivery.
"The idea was to go across and outside the eyeline. He (Kohli) tried to pull it in front of square because there was protection out there. He got a toe end on it, and it carried through to BJ Watling. That bottom edge created a bit of a mode," he added.
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Kohli’s wicket opened the floodgates. Wagner then dismissed both Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni, who had looked threatening using the same short-ball tactic. India were eventually bowled out for 368, falling short by 40 runs as New Zealand took the lead in the first Test.
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