Sonny Baker's Authentic Debut: A Bright Spot for English Cricket

When Sonny Baker walked into his first media conference as a Test cricketer he was told it was customary to sing a song.

For a moment it looked like he might just do it.

The 23-year-old fast bowler makes an impression on everyone he meets. The most engaging of interviewees, the difficulty is stopping him talking.

England coach Brendon McCullum is another to have been taken in. He thinks Baker is "going to be a cricketer the country really gets behind".

Day one of the second Test against New Zealand was not the bustling Somerset quick's first England appearance but it was undeniably his best.

After recording the worst 50-over figures by a debutant against South Africa last year and again going wicketless on his T20 bow in Ireland, Baker claimed 2-63 from 15 overs.

Most importantly, with a hop and a step to begin his run, throwing his arms in the air at every turn, he was himself.

When asked how his day was, Baker said: "Awesome, could you tell?

"I'm so thankful to have a proper debut that is reflective of where I'm at. My biggest learning from the Ireland debut was I felt like I wasn't being myself."

Baker's first wicket, Rachin Ravindra edging to gully, came in his seventh over.

The six before had taken him to 17 wicketless overs in international cricket but were the most threatening this Test had seen to that point.

His third delivery, one followed with a glinting glare, beat the edge of Henry Nicholls' bat. When the next ball was missed, Nicholls was the recipient of the Baker smile.

"I'm the biggest carry-on ever," added Baker, who later added the key wicket of Daryl Mitchell.

"Surely I should get stuck in, oohs and aahs if the ball beats the bat, super excited, a long follow-through every time that happens.

"That's just how I am. I made a big commitment to myself coming into this, of that's how I want to be and go about things. That's me, so I might as well be authentic."

Unlike his fellow debutant wicketkeeper James Rew, who was told he was replacing Jamie Smith in the sauna on Tuesday, Baker had a couple of days to prepare for his Test bow after Ollie Robinson's knee scan on Saturday.

A keen note-maker, Baker has a book with pointers to remember for each battle but also how to deal with the stress that comes from a debut on cricket's biggest stage.

A lot of it is about embracing the occasion.

"Even last night I was struggling to eat, and fuelling as a fast bowler is super important," he said. "This morning I felt the anxiety build up in my stomach.

"I was pretty honest with people that I was pretty nervous going into the day. Once you start warming up, everything goes away and you get stuck in."

With England naming three debutants in their XI for the first time in nine years, the pre-match huddle went on longer than some first dates.

Rew received his cap from a fellow Somerset batter Marcus Trescothick, while Jordan Cox got his from Essex legend Nasser Hussain.

Baker, a self-proclaimed fast-bowling geek, was handed his from another in the county he has just joined - former England quick Steven Finn.

"The cap presentation was more emotional than anything else, seeing how proud my parents were," he admitted.

"I was trying not to get emotional in front of the rest of the lads, but I was struggling a bit."

When Baker's first wicket-taking over was complete, perhaps with the emotion bubbling, he initially headed the wrong way, turning for deep third rather than his fielding position of long leg.

After correcting, he was greeted by a section of The Oval crowd rising to applaud him.

"That was proper," said Baker. "In T20s and stuff, when there's music on you don't really sense the crowd quite as much.

"When it's silent and there's just a trumpet in the background, you really feel the crowd getting behind you."

It is not lost that Baker's Test debut came on such an unusual day.

Three debutants, one man holding more caps than the rest of the team combined, and the captain more than 250 miles away with his career in the balance.

Far from ideal, but England appeared upbeat and tight-knit throughout.

"It's actually been great," added the Devon-born Baker. "The lads have tried to put that behind us and deal with the situation as it is.

"The relaxed nature of the environment really helps from a nerves point of view."

Soon after, Baker's duties on day one were done as he turned to another sporting event.

"The rest of the lads will be fuming if I take much longer," he said as he left the stage.

There was World Cup football to watch.

The past week, with everything surrounding the Ben Stokes situation, has been a dark week for English cricket.

This was a Sonny day.