Tireless Iain O'Brien pulls his finger out

BY JONATHAN MILLMOW

Three things spurred Iain O'Brien during his epic bowling spell that helped New Zealand to a 32-run first test victory over Pakistan.

When a tired yet proud New Zealand side touched down in Wellington yesterday, O'Brien said the wallop on the hand – his bowling hand – that left him with a dislocated middle finger actually galvanised him.

He also credits the electric atmosphere at Dunedin's University Oval and the thought at the back of his mind that his career was on the line as the factors behind his sterling display of stamina and success.

O'Brien bowled 13 overs in succession from the southern end, the first four before the tea interval and then nine afterwards for a return of 3-35.

At tea Pakistan were 165-5, only 86 runs shy of victory but O'Brien and Shane Bond operated at seemingly full tilt for 16 overs to pull the first test out of the fire.

O'Brien, 33, will have his finger assessed today but seemed confident of being fit for the second test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, starting on Thursday.

"It's swollen, it's sore, it's bruised but it bends okay so we'll find out tomorrow when it's properly checked out," O'Brien said.

"It went a little bit numb straight after it was hit [by a straight drive from Kamran Akmal]. It was the bowling finger so I was a little concerned about that at the time but adrenaline helped get me through that spell.

"I wasn't going to not bowl, I wanted to be part of a test win and I wanted to do something to change the game so there was no way Dan [Vettori] was getting the ball out of my hand.

"I was getting a little bit tired, but I still felt I was a wicket chance and could conserve runs.

"It was good to be part of it. The crowd was a huge help – it was our 12th man."

O'Brien was playing his 20th test and it was his first win of note, the other three being against Bangladesh.

He rates it as the highlight of his career.

"If I didn't come out and bowl well yesterday it could have be me done for a while, if not a long time," said O'Brien had the unflattering figures of 0-98 in Pakistan's first innings.

"So to go out and bowl well and play a part in a test win is good. It makes me feel better about my job and my role in the team. To be part of a win, absolutely it was my best day."

O'Brien has more lives than he thinks, according to captain and selector Vettori.

"It's not as tight a call as people might think," Vettori said. "I'm really pleased with the way Daryl [Tuffey] is going – he's putting a lot of pressure on the bowlers and you can throw Tim Southee and Brent Arnel in there as well.

"But I've always backed Obber. I like the effort and the way he bowls in a game – he wants the ball and you saw the turnaround from the first innings where he struggled.

"I bowled him too much. I kept him fresher this time and he responded. That spell with him and Shane after tea made a real difference."

Contrast Bond with O'Brien. Bond now has 10 wins in his 18 test career, staggering numbers considering New Zealand's place in the game.

"Shane is a world-class bowler and he's got some good support around him with Chris Martin and Iain O'Brien," said wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, the man with the best seat in the house.

"I heard Dan at one point say `Shane, can you bowl one more?' and Shane said `I'll keep going as long as I need to'," McCullum added.

"He's brilliant. It's great to have him back in the side."

- © Fairfax NZ News