Comparing the batting and bowling manual, the latter is sold more. Most of the bowlers are bookworms. Blame the game itself. There is not much they can do in this batters’ game.
For Wagner, his cup of tea is a mixture of innovation and the things he mugged from the manual. Though he mugged them all, his affinity to the short ball has given him the identity.
*
Wagner is rough. He runs hard, he trains hard, plays the game hard. He does sprints for different meters with a few minutes break, if that is not enough, he hits the gym right away after brutally killing him with the runs.
He seldom practices short ball because he doesn’t need to and in the match, it is his instincts that take over. He starts awkward, holds the ball awkward, hits awkward lines, keeps the batter guessing until the end. It’s awkward but it’s effective.
With Wagner, this game is a war. It’s a street fight where no rules work. It’s no holds barred and everything works. It’s jaw-droppingly brutal.
Wagner’s moves are simple. Hit the bodyline, keep going until the batter gives up, finish it off with the chin music. He does make the batters cry, dance for his chin music. As if they had a way out of this.
He is captain’s bowler. His go-to. Who doesn’t love someone who keeps going for like 6 to 7 overs in a row without a drop in energy level?
Wagner doesn’t depend on his short ball alone. He knows when to use the swing and when to keep it full.
*
Despite having plenty of talents, Otago lacked a match-winner. Entry Wagner. Hesson couldn’t be happier. Things changed. Otago changed. It certainly was a good period for the team and now, they do miss him more.
*
People don’t take Wagner seriously. Hey, even my phone’s autocorrect changes his name as Warner. That’s how it goes for him. He was under the shadow of Southee, Boult, Bracewell, sometimes, Milne and a few more bowlers. They have their own names. They have their style. They are sexy. With Wagner, everything is ugly awkward but effectively beautiful. You cannot hate him but you don’t name him first despite being the second-fastest New Zealand bowler to pick 200 Test wickets, only behind Sir Hadlee.
In this flashy world, Traditional Test cricket is not as fancy as T20 and thus not many know him. He is 33 and doesn’t play more limited cricket either.
New Zealand is not India to take care of their Test specialist better. Something India does in the case of Pujara. Wagner doesn’t get much. He doesn’t care either. His passion and love stay with Test cricket and he loves to give it to the country that has taken care of him like his own.
