New Zealand wrapped up a dominant Test series win over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, sealing the second match with an innings victory inside three days. The standout performance came from debutant Zak Foulkes, who recorded remarkable match figures of 9 for 75, which is the best by a New Zealand bowler on Test debut.
Foulkes, a late addition to the squad after Nathan Smith was sidelined with an abdominal strain, made an immediate impact with his ability to swing the ball both ways. Stand-in captain Mitchell Santner was full of praise for the young seamer, calling his debut ‘pretty special’.
“We've seen a little bit in the white ball stuff recently, but to do it in a Test match on debut is pretty special. He was obviously going for that ten-for, I think he bowled a ten-over spell there, which is credit to him as well to be able to bowl ten overs in a row. But he's probably loved Zimbabwe more than some others,” Santner said of Foulkes' feat.
“Someone kind of swinging into the right-hander is, you don't see that often. So I guess [he's] another addition to our attack with the guys moving the ball away. He was outstanding. When the lefties come on, he looks pretty tough to play and to get nine in the game on debut is a pretty good effort,” he added.
Foulkes reflects on his nine-wicket haul
Foulkes admitted the experience hadn’t fully sunk in yet. He complained of some sore on Day 2 of the second Test and was happy that the Kiwis didn’t declare early as he wasn’t ready to bowl again.
“It still hasn't really kicked in to be honest. It's all happened pretty quickly. It was awesome to be out there with the guys. It was all a little bit rushed. I've been on a white ball diet so the prospect of bowling a few more overs and stuff, I definitely felt a bit sore on day two. Thankfully, we didn't have to bowl on day two, which was nice. It was cool to get back into red-ball cricket,” Foulkes said.