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Neil Wagner suffered the pain of a broken toe on Monday, taking two wickets from Pakistan to help the Black Caps to a dominant position in the first test at Bay Oval on Mount Maunganui.
After he came off the field at the end of the third day with Pakistan with 239 in his first innings, losing 192 runs, the left arm closer showed an emotional figure, stating that “you just have to find a way to deal with it and play at bowling for your companions ”.
He suffered the injury when left-arm teammate Shaheen Shah Afridi struck him on the foot while batting Sunday afternoon. After receiving treatment, he contributed 19 to the Black Caps’ total of 431, then returned to the field to throw three overs.
Overnight X-rays revealed that he had suffered a displaced fracture of his fourth toe, the one next to the little toe, on his right foot, but a doctor cleared him to play as long as he could deal with the pain.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Black Caps closer Neil Wagner celebrates Fawad Alam’s wicket, which he claimed while bowling with a fractured toe.
A pain reliever injection was required in the middle of the day, beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m., as a result of three rain breaks, but he threw 18 overs and took two wickets when the Black Caps got into the top. .
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“I wouldn’t want to be sitting off to the side with my foot up, watching the guys do the hard work while I can’t be there to help,” was how an excited Wagner put it afterward.
“I would have some Fomo [feeling of missing out].
“It just wouldn’t be fair and it wouldn’t be right, injuries happen and it’s bad luck, but I can still walk and I can still run. It’s painful, but it’s just one of those things that you have to deal with.
“I still felt like I didn’t want to disappoint my teammates and just wanted to find a way to contribute to the team.
“Test matches are not easy and playing for your country is never something you can take for granted.
“I know how fucking hard I had to work to get to where I am now, so I’m sure I’m not going to sit aside and watch other people do it. I want to be a part and do my part and, unless they take me on a stretcher, I will do everything I can ”.
Wagner landed his first wicket midway through the second session, when Fawad Alam got a lead on a hook that went through goalkeeper BJ Watling, then added another late in the lengthened final session, when Shaheen sent another short ball straight to Tom Latham on the short one. leg.
He said Monday had been one of his toughest days on a cricket ground, but he was eager to meet the challenge of pitching Pakistan again, and then seeing if he can go back and play the second test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. , which starts on Sunday.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead, but you’re going to have to try to get away.
“We’ll add it up after each day and hopefully it’ll get better and hopefully we can get the job done and rest a couple days for the foot, but we’ll see how it goes and fingers crossed, it’ll be fine.”
Play will resume a bit early Tuesday, at 10:46 a.m., with the Black Caps poised to start their second inning and plenty of intrigue about when they will testify.
They need to win both events in this series to have a chance of reaching the World Trials Championship final at Lord’s in England next June, so Captain Kane Williamson will have to find the right balance of board runs and remaining overs. .
