At Wellington, on a spicy deck, Gurnoor Brar took 4/30, his career best and first four-wicket haul in ODIs, to help bowl New Zealand out for 134. (CREIMAS)

It took Shubman Gill one session with Gurnoor Brar to pick up the phone and get the pacer into an Under-23 squad. Gill had seen him bowl in Katoch Shield matches, in his own India Under-19 days, and helped him into the Mohali district team before the Punjab call came. Almost a year before Brar reached the international circuit, with a dozen first-class games to his name, India head coach Gautam Gambhir was keeping an eye on him. The previous selection panel under Ajit Agarkar felt the same and fast-tracked him into the pool of pacers at the Centre of Excellence. The staff there believe India have found a true fast bowler, one with red-ball DNA in him.

The hype did not come from the IPL , where he has played one match, in 2023. It came from 22 first-class games and the grind that goes with them.…