New Zealand’s bowlers have put them on the cusp of a historic Test victory in India, but pacer William O’Rourke has warned against complacency despite the seemingly achievable target of 107 runs.
O’Rourke and Matt Henry shared six wickets between them to dismiss India for 462 in their second innings, setting up a tantalizing chase for the Kiwis. However, O’Rourke emphasized the need for caution, acknowledging the quality of the Indian team.
“I wouldn’t say it’s an easy win from here,” O’Rourke said. “We’ve got a world-class team going up against us. But we’ve got to be confident going out there tomorrow.”
O’Rourke, who is on his first tour of India, has relished the experience, particularly the pace and bounce offered by the Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch. He singled out the dismissal of Virat Kohli in the first innings, where he induced the star batter to jab at a steep bouncer, resulting in a catch to Glenn Phillips at gully.
“It’s obviously pretty special getting someone so great, one of the greats of our game, out like that,” O’Rourke remarked. “Obviously, you grow up watching those guys. So, to come here and take that wicket, it’s probably right up there.”
The young pacer acknowledged the pressure put on the Kiwis by Sarfaraz Khan (150) and Rishabh Pant (99), who added 177 runs for the fourth wicket. However, he credited the second new ball for helping them gain some momentum, with Tim Southee getting the breakthrough by dismissing Sarfaraz, followed by O’Rourke’s dismissal of Pant.
“I’ve been pretty hot and cold with the ball,” O’Rourke said. “Pant and Sarfaraz have batted very well for a long time, but that second new ball started doing a little bit for us.”
“So, good to Timmy (Southee) getting that first breakthrough (Sarfaraz) and then lucky enough to get a chop (Pant) there to sort of give us a bit of momentum going through.”
O’Rourke also expressed gratitude towards his mentor, Kyle Jamieson, who is currently recovering from a back stress fracture. “Kyle’s been a bit in the background,” he said. “So, learning from him and, obviously, he’s had a hell of a start to his international career and he’s one of the best bowlers in the world.”
