Chris Martin
The BLACKCAPS strike bowler talks about bowling to India, reselection and getting Ryder through to his century.
On being back in the BLACKCAPS test team…
"Yeah, it’s even good to be sitting here. This test is pretty big for me and I’m enjoying it so far."
On sticking to the bowling plans….
"Most of their players will respect a decent ball apart from Sehway. It was good to see the back of him early. If you bowl a good line and length they do respect it. To go at around three an over on that wicket today was a good achievement. Perhaps if we held our catches it would have been a bit more of an even day. "
On being under selection pressure…
"I haven’t really followed it. I get the odd word from friends and family but think that the main focus for me and hence not talking to the media leading into this test was just to play the game and I think that has helped me relax and get back into the groove of test cricket. I’ve managed to deal with that sort of stuff fairly easily."
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On being down on pace…
"I suppose with old-man time catching up on you struggle a little bit at times but think that in this test I’ve managed to regain (the perception) of what people think I’ve lost. So to prove a few doubters wrong is always high on my list and to prove a bit to myself as well."
On his confidence after being back in the team….
"Once you are in the team, once you are hanging out with the guys you play a lot of cricket with, the confidence they give you is huge. I think Dan has always given me the ball at good times in the match to have a good crack at a pressure situation. To give him that pay back today at a few stages was good for me."
On playing against the Indian team…
"I’ve watched them on TV quite a bit. It’s been 15 year and I suppose they haven’t toured here that often. Standing at the top of my mark today with Sachin at the other end was a good buzz and something you do think about quite a lot when you’re growing up. I think I’ll have a bit more to bowl at him tomorrow [Friday]."
On the state of the game…
"Each morning you turn up there’s always a little bit of moisture, there’s always a little bit of something in the air. With the new ball and a little bit of swing tomorrow I think can claw back a couple of early wickets and get ourselves right in the game again. I don’t think at 61 for six we were looking that pretty in this game so to pull it back to at least a position where we can compete and after today putting in a pretty professional performance I think that tomorrow [Friday] is crunch time for the game."
On hanging around to help Jesse Ryder get a hundred….
"My strike rate is OK for getting guys through to their hundred but what happens after that is up to them. But the fact that I had five balls to get him through, he pumped me up each ball and made sure I was going to get him there."
