New Zealand speedster William O'Rourke reckoned that he was fortunate to take Virat Kohli's dismissal on the ball which was going down the leg in the first Test against India in the first Test match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. He said that it was not the exact delivery he was trying to bowl to Kohli.
Kohli got out on a nine-ball duck as he edged the ball which was taken by Glenn Phillips at the leg gully on the second day in Bengaluru. India had a forgettable outing in the first innings against BlackCaps as the Men in Blue were bowled out for just 46 runs, their lowest-ever Test score at home and their third-lowest in history.
I think just with my angle back in, having that leg gully in place was meant to bring him into play. It was obviously an attacking option for us. We were fortunate to get the wicket. I don’t think that was exactly the delivery I intended, but it worked and I got his wicket, so I’m happy about it," O'Rourke told JioCinema.
The weather conditions and moisture on the pitch supported Kiwi seamers and O'Rourke said he felt like playing at home.
"Very similar to the conditions back home. I think we weren't expecting too much assistance in the morning. We were probably going to bat as well if we won the toss. So, it was nice to see the ball nipping around, and I could just run in and do my thing," the pacer said.
"I think we were excellent in the field today. A few diving chances and I think that's what we pride ourselves on. We probably haven't been as good as we wanted to be in the last few Tests. So, coming out here and putting on a show like that was really special," he added.
Playing his maiden series in India, O'Rourke managed to get four scalps by concerning 22 runs in 12 overs. He gives credit to Sri Lanka series for getting a sense of the subcontinental conditions.
"It’s my first time playing in the subcontinent so it’s obviously a little bit different from back home, but playing those first two Tests in Sri Lanka really helped prepare me to come out here and just focus on doing my own thing," he said.
Following India's disappointing total, the visitors finished day two at 180 for 3, holding a lead of 134 runs. Devon Conway led the charge with an impressive 91 runs, while Will Young added 33. Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja each claimed a wicket, but India faces a tough challenge to bounce back from their poor start in the series opener.
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