Neil Wagner was left out of the New Zealand side for the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong earlier this month. After his first innings five-for in the second Test, he may not have to return to the sidelines for quite some time. ‘For me personally it was tough to miss out on the first Test, but it’s one of those things. That’s the nature of the game and when you get another chance you’ve got to use it and you’ve got to grab it with both hands,’ said the Black Caps paceman after a rain-shortened day two at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
‘I was very hungry and looking forward to the opportunity, so the main thing for me is to put my head down and come back and try and do that again. To do this over and over again is tough work, but that’s what’s required, so for me [the goal is] to try to replicate that in the games to come and in the innings to come.’
Wagner picked up three quick wickets in the first session to complete his first career five-wicket haul in Test cricket and restrict Bangladesh to 282 from its overnight platform of 228/5.
‘[I] obviously take quite a bit of confidence out of that and that’s something I think that any bowler works hard for in their career, so I’m pleased with that,’ he said of his achievement.
Wagner bowled noticeably fast and aggressively at the Bangladesh batsmen during the first innings, frequently attacking them with short deliveries on an otherwise slow wicket.
‘On a wicket like this, when guys tend to get on the front foot, you’ve got to vary your pace and vary your lengths. It becomes easy [to bat] because it’s quite flat and slow, so it’s something you’ve got to play around with and look to try and intimidate a little bit,’ he said.
‘It’s not easy always to get it up there, especially with the ball getting softer, but it’s definitely a delivery that you have to try and work hard with and bowl a couple of short balls just to make them think about something else.’
‘I think it’s every fast bowler’s nature to try and unsettle them or try to bowl a couple of short deliveries.’
However, Wagner’s aggression was not restricted to his pace and length, and he explained that his demeanour on the field comes naturally to him.
‘That’s just the way I play to be honest. [Confronting the opposition] just gets me going, I guess. [It] gets me into the game and gets me into a little battle, and I try and fight and win it against the batsman.’
‘It’s just in my nature to try and be aggressive and play as hard as I can.’
When asked what he said to Sohag Gazi after the latter hit him for six, Wagner laughed.
‘I just said to him, ‘try and do it again,’ and I think he did try and do it again!’
-With New Age input
