"Stay boring," Dean Elgar advised Kyle Wren as the pair navigated a disciplined West Indies attack in seamer-friendly conditions on the opening day in St Lucia.
Playing in his second Test match, Varian found himself at the crease with South Africa at 37 for 3, swinging the ball & home attacking the hunt. He was joined by his captain Elgar, who had struggled for 16 runs off 52 balls, was playing & was missing a lot, & was instructed to linger & stay.
"[He told me] because the conditions are tough, you don't want to focus too much on scoring runs, it's all about spending time in the middle." Warren said. "His message was about reminding me to be patient, to stick to procedures, to remember the chats we had in the week, not to do anything different, not to be boring, & to spend time in between."
Wren took 13 deliveries to score his 1st run & 24 balls before his 1st boundary. By the time he reached 10, he had faced 55 balls. As the afternoon approached, things got a little easier & his next 17 runs came in 33 balls, but it was still tough.
"It had rained a lot around yesterday as well, so there was no sunshine on the wicket & it was a bit difficult in the morning. There was a lot of swing because of the cloud cover," he said. "And then after lunch, the wicket started to get stronger & it was moving a little faster than the wicket. They have a really efficient bowling line-up & they are looking to use the duke ball to their advantage. I'm very good. He scored a lot. Difficult."
For a player known for his aggression & ability to move the game fast, it was an exercise in self-denial, which Wren had been working on the week before this match.
"I'm quite a free-scoring player, but I found out in the 1st Test that this is not the way to go on this wicket," he said. "I have been working a lot this week to adjust to these conditions & keep some shots away that I am used to playing. Dean being there to remind me of those chats & net sessions where I did. Had to limit myself."
Although Wren knew he had traveled to the Caribbean as a back-up batsman, due to a hip injury from tour vice-captain Temba Bavuma, he prepared for the 1st Test as he would play, & he did. He had scored 6 runs in that match & if Bavuma had recovered in time for this test, he would have been benched.
"I'm still young & there is a process. You have to be patient & be ready when the opportunity comes," he said. "I have had great conversations with the coach & the captain & I know where I stand. You've to wait your turn & take it when your chance comes."
But Bavuma amputated a finger in training & Vereen learned the afternoon before the match that he would be given another chance. The coach said, "You are in. Enjoy it."
He did, though maybe not in the way he thought. Like many players before him, Wren saw international cricket as a big step up from what was used at the domestic level.
"In this Test series I found that you don't really get a break. Sometimes in domestic cricket, you can go through a phase where you've to come back home from a five-over spell of really brutal cricket & one Once you get over it, you can play freely. But it's all day here." "The bowlers don't really take their foot off the pedal. You've to be on it on every single ball or else you'll be out."
He was. A few balls before tea, Wren tried to pull Shannon Gabriel, but the ball went down the leg side and was caught from behind. He scored 27 runs. But his partnership with Elgar was of 87 runs, the highest ever, proving that there are occasions when the boring works at their best.