Unheralded medium pacer Colin de Grandhomme rewrote the New Zealand test record books with a spectacular debut performance against Pakistan at Hagley Oval today.
The Auckland allrounder took six for 41 from 15.5 overs to rip through Pakistan and dismiss them for 133 shortly before tea, after New Zealand had won the toss. He is the eighth bowler to take five or more wickets on debut, and his are the best figures of them all.
De Grandhomme, pushing the ball up and getting swing and seam off the green pitch at strictly medium pace, had three wickets in his first seven overs to slice through Pakistan in the morning session.
The Harare-born 30-year-old made the initial breakthrough after Pakistan had negotiated the early overs from an off-line Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
A fine ball ducked between Azhar Ali's bat and pad to remove his off stump in the 13th over; Babar Azam was caught at first slip by Ross Taylor, driving at a ball which moved away in the 19th over before the prize scalp of the great Younis Khan, who paid the price for not moving his feet and was caught at second slip by the other debutant Jeet Raval.
After lunch he nabbed three more, including the final batsman, Rahat Ali, caught behind as de Grandhomme received the backslaps of team mates and a generous round of applause from the crowd.
Only Pakistan's captain Misbah-ul-Haq lasted long in testing conditions, getting to 31 in the course of a 161-minute stay. Pakistan lost four for 28 in 15 overs in the second session to remove any chance of a post-lunch revival.
The other debutant, Jeet Raval, enjoyed himself too, snaring three catches at second slip.
De Grandhomme has played one ODI and four T20s, but none since 2012, and has long had a reputation as a tidy bowler and a batsman capable of murderous hitting.
But he's won his place on the back of a more mature batting approach, and good form, notably a He has played one ODI and four T20s, but none since 2012, and has long had a reputation as a tidy bowler and a batsman capable of murderous hitting.
He has taken 123 first-class wickets in 83 games at 30.18 before today. His batting average is 35.9, including 10 centuries, so he had some credentials for a callup, getting the nod ahead of the allround alternative, Jimmy Neesham.
There was nothing particularly eye-catching about his bowling today, but he was on the mark, got the ball to move and kept the batsmen playing at it.
Tim Southee overcame some earlier radar issues to finish with two for 20 off 19 overs while left armer Trent Boult grabbed two for 29 off 16.
