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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
Jamieson makes statement in Blackcaps' India opener
Stephen Foote • January 12th, 2026 10:05 am
Kyle Jamieson | Photo: Photosport
The Blackcaps' opening ODI against India in Vadodara overnight Sunday (NZ time) would have been a much more straightforward affair for the hosts had it not been for the efforts of Kyle Jamieson.
With India at 234/2 and seemingly comfortably cruising to their target of 301, the towering seamer delivered a match-turning spell, taking a trio of key wickets in the space of just seven balls to wobble the hosts' pursuit.
Among them were star batter Virat Kohli, denied a century after being caught for 93, and Shreyas Iyer, who was also well established at the crease at 49.
Having added Jadeja to his list of victims, Jamieson completed his 10 overs with figures of 4/41 - a new career best in the ODI format.
While India ultimately stabilised to close out victory in the penultimate over, Jamieson took plenty of heart from his team's ability to tune out the chaos at Kotambi Stadium and battle back into the contest.
"It's always loud on the grounds in this part of the world, so there's sort of lots of energy, lots of sensory overload," Jamieson told Sport Nation.
"But I think, as a group, we just tried to try to stay in it, show that Kiwi way and just keep fighting to the end and take it deep. Luckily, we managed to pry a few out and make the game interesting.
"They were certainly coasting along so it was nice to try and swing it and take the game deep."
And had the Blackcaps been able to hold on to a few catches - opportunities they should have pocketed - the situation could have become a lot dicier for the Indians.
While Daryl Mitchell had the hottest bat for the Blackcaps - slamming 84 off 71 balls - his shelling of a routine chance in the 44th over was a head-in-hands moment.
But on what was very much a pitch favouring the batters, Jamieson applauded his team's ability to keep pounding the bowling lines in the face of the Indian offensive.
Neil Wagner on dealing with dropped catches | Sport Nation
"There's not a huge amount of the surface for us quicks and the spin, especially under lights, can just skid on and not hold as it does in other parts," he explained. "It was a little bit slow, a little but two paced for us seamers when we sort of banged it in.
"We were just trying to find some different variations and keep asking questions of them because it felt like, certainly through the middle, that if you kept doing the same thing, they could milk it and keep the tempo that they wanted.
"There were a couple of catches that went down that would have been nice to be taken."
Result aside, the Blackcaps were able to get a glimpse at some of their newcomers in Adi Ashok and Kristian Clarke and give them a valuable taste of the subcontinent.
Clarke looked composed at the crease for a valuable undefeated late knock of 24 off 17 balls. Ashok was targeted by the Indian attack, taking a wicket but at the expense of 55 runs from just six overs.
For Jamieson, it was an encouraging performance and proof of what he's capable of in such conditions after being named as a travelling reserve for the T20 World Cup in India & Sri Lanka next month.
Both Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson are expected to be absent on paternity leave during the tournament, meaning Jamieson will be called into action at some stage.
At least, the new dad is fairly certain number two won't be an issue just yet.
"Unless my missus has somehow kept that from me," Jamieson jokes.
"I'm sort of sweet to ride the whole way through. My schedule's a little less busy than those boys, but it's obviously exciting for them to have that on the horizon.
"I'll be doing my best to run the waters for them during that World Cup, and obviously be a part of that T20 series before it, so it's exciting to kind of just be in and around the group and to be around against an ICC event in this country."
The Blackcaps now travel to Rakjot to try and level the series in the second ODI on Wednesday.
Listen to the full interview:
