Watching New Zealand chase in WTC final was probably the toughest period of cricket, reveals Kyle Jamieson

New Zealand created a historic moment after they emerged as the inaugural winners of the World Test Championship final defeating India by eight wickets in Southampton. However, the match went down to the wire, with BlackCaps chasing the target in the last session of play, having rolled India over earlier in the day with the ball. 

Integral to their success, the 26-year-old bowling all-rounder Kyle Jamieson, who was also adjudged as the player of the match for picking seven wickets in that game, revealed that watching the WTC final was the toughest period of his cricketing life. 

"It was probably the toughest period of cricket I've been a part of, in terms of watching," Jamieson told Country Sport Breakfast on Gold AM, reported New Zealand Herald. 

New Zealand were left with the target of 139 from 55 overs after they bowled India out for 170 on the reserve day. In their route to chase the Black Caps lost their openers to India’s off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, but despite the early collapse the senior players like skipper Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, with a calm and composed character, ensured the victory was in New Zealand’s bag. 

Jamieson said that he was completely nervous while watching his teammates bat and at times he would move himself to the bathroom to seek peace of mind after the Indian crowd were cheering their team after every dot ball or a close call.  

"We were sitting inside and actually watching on TV. There was a bit of a delay but it seemed like every ball the Indian crowd was up and about and I was like 'jeez it's a wicket' or something like that, but it turned out it was just a block or a single. It was pretty tough to watch. I actually tried to at times to go to the bathroom where there was no noise to just get away from it for a while because it was quite nerve-racking. But it was nice to have Kane and Ross out there, two of our greatest ever batters really to calm the nerves and finish the job the way they did."

Just a couple of days after the WTC final wrapped up, Jamieson was back on the field where he featured for Surrey against Middlesex in the T20 Blast which Surrey went on to win by five wickets. 

"It was a quick turnaround. I think within 48 hours I was back on the park playing T20 for Surrey. It's kind of the life we live a little bit. But it's nice to stay on and to experience county cricket for the next few weeks."

Before coming to England in May, Jamieson was with his newly signed IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore in India. Earlier this month, the New Zealand all-rounder had penned a deal with Surrey where he will be with the outfit till their final group fixture against Gloucestershire on July 16. Jamieson admitted that he misses his home in Auckland and is eager to get back once the tournament folds up. 

"Yeah, I am a little bit. It's been about three months and will be about just over four months by the time I get out of MIQ. It's been a long time and I've certainly loved my time at home. So it's been tough at times but I guess it's been the environment we're in,” Jamieson admitted.