New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, who wants his bowlers to “fight fire with fire”, says seamer Neil Wagner’s aggression is a key reason for his selection for the second and final cricket Test against South Africa.
The left-armer replaces Chris Martin, while left-handed batsman Colin Munro has also been called up for the match, which begins in Port Elizabeth on Friday night (NZ time).
Munro – who like Wagner was born in South Africa – is set to make his Test debut as replacement for James Franklin, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury.
A further change is possible, with Bruce Martin added to the 12 in case the tourists opt to play a second spinner along with Jeetan Patel.
In the innings defeat in the opening Test, the 38-year-old Martin returned the best figures of the New Zealand bowlers with 3-63.
McCullum said Martin bowled reasonably well in Cape Town, but Wagner looked the better choice this time around.
“We felt the more aggressive option of Neil Wagner, especially with a potentially drier pitch and his ability to reverse swing the ball, is going to serve us better to try and even up the series,” he said.
Wagner has played two previous Tests, both in the West Indies last year.
McCullum said Munro would bat at No.7 and would also be used as the fourth seamer.
“He’s an aggressive fellow and he’s fitted into the team brilliantly,” he said.
“He’s worked very, very hard. He’s got a great attitude and he likes to play the game with a free spirit.”
Having used the word aggression to describe both Wagner and Munro, McCullum called on the whole New Zealander bowling attack to show greater venom.
He said the bowlers “did okay” in the first Test after a poor first day, when the Proteas got to 3-252 in reply to New Zealand’s 45.
“But when you look at the South African line-up and see the aggression that they bowled with, especially at the tail, there’s a discrepancy there,” he said.
“We want our bowlers to be a little bit more aggressive and we asked them for that.”
One benefit of their increased hostility in the nets this week was to get their batting colleagues more accustomed to what they would face.
The other was “to get that positive and aggressive mindset into the bowling line-up so that we are able to fight fire with fire a little bit from our seamers”.
In the only South African change, Rory Kleinveldt replaces injured seamer Vernon Philander.
New Zealand (from): Brendon McCullum (capt), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Dean Brownlie, Daniel Flynn, BJ Watling, Colin Munro, Doug Bracewell, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Jeetan Patel, Bruce Martin.
South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel.