It was at Loughborough last week that Brendon McCullum noticed Emilio Gay was "spinning". The prospect of his Test debut had the 26-year-old on edge.
Accepting that Gay should be excited by an upcoming appearance at Lord's against New Zealand, but sensing the over-stimulation, England's head coach got to work.
His aim, as he explained on Monday afternoon, was "to just calm him down a little bit, and trust him so that when he gets to the start line, he's ready to go."
By 12.22pm on Monday, day four, England had secured a comfortable 115-run win. Gay's part in it was as valuable as any of the four different five-wicket hauls. On a capricious pitch, for which MCC has since apologised, his 57 in England's second innings was a match-turning contribution.
It was impressive for its clarity, and it belied the reality of a newbie facing conditions that even world-class veterans Joe Root and Kane Williamson found alienating.
Since Ben Stokes became Test captain four years ago, Gay is the fifth batter to be given his chance to make a case at the top of the order. Notwithstanding the occasional flashes from his predecessor in role, Zak Crawley, the only man to make a compelling case has been Ben Duckett, who has averaged 41.29 since returning to the team in the winter of 2022.
Duckett, whose career also began at Northamptonshire, faced the first ball in both innings at Lord's. Afterwards, he was given the responsibility of congratulating his partner's work in a post-match speech in the dressing-room: "It certainly hasn't looked like someone on debut," he said.
Gay is a headstrong character, focused and perceptive to the world around him. An ambassador of Chance to Shine and the African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) Programme, he knows the significance of being only the second Black, British-born man to debut in Tests for England this century. On the field, he was able to park the significance of the occasion to assess what was in front of him. Namely, the looming threat of a ball with his name on it.
Patience and belief in his method were his tools. The 95 deliveries Gay absorbed in his second knock were the most anyone faced in one go. Likewise the two hours he spent at the crease.
McCullum's calming words at the training camp had been along these lines. He reinforced the point that Gay did not need to copy the scoring whims of Duckett or Harry Brook - the only other half-centurion in the Test - to fit in. It was exactly what Gay needed to hear.
"The big challenge for Emilio was how he was going to settle into the group, thinking he might need to do something different," McCullum explained. "The message we kept reinforcing was 'you are a run-scorer, you know how to score runs, you know how to go about operating in your style'.
"A week ago, I felt like things were spinning a bit for Emilio, [after] the initial step into the England set-up. Then, over the course of that, he drilled down into his preparation, which was vital to feel as if he was able to operate the way he wants to. He just became calmer and calmer the closer he got to the start line. He's moulded into the group brilliantly.
"I was incredibly impressed with how he played in difficult conditions - that fifty is worth a lot more than what it probably reads on the scorecard, in terms of the game. For me, the calm he operated with - it's rare to see when you step up to this level, and he's done it well. I'm sure he's got many more Test runs in front of him."
One of England's many takeaways from the Ashes was the need to be smarter. And in the context of this England side, that meant appreciating there were different, more scenic routes to success.
As learnings go, it was far from revelatory, and bordered on rudimentary. But Gay's application suggests that knuckling down is now actively encouraged in this regime, an approach to revive the exhausted "putting pressure back on the bowlers" mantra.
Even if Gay himself had been anxious about his tempo in the lead-up to the Test, he would have been further encouraged by his dressing-room conversations over the four days. McCullum revealed the batters spoke openly about not trying to force the issue, rotating the strike, and going after any hint of looseness from New Zealand's seamers.
It was admittedly an easier task with Matt Henry operating at half-capacity following a back spasm, but England found an effective way against a high-quality attack.
"I thought we were brave at times when we needed to be," McCullum said. "Bravery for me is not necessarily about running down the wicket and trying to slog every ball.
"There are times when you will need to do that, but there are also times when subtly you can change things up a little bit. I thought, even in the first innings, our boys shifted their guard on a number of occasions, they tried to bat out of their crease and deep in their crease."
Arguably not since Ben Foakes during the 2022 summer has an England batter been encouraged to take their time with the bat. However, it was Foakes' strike rate of 46.99 under Ben Stokes' captaincy that ultimately led to him relinquishing the gloves, to Jonny Bairstow for the Ashes, and then to Surrey teammate Jamie Smith in 2024.
But these are different times, in the wake of an Ashes campaign that has led to demands for more considered cricket. Or else.
Gay is no plodder. Of the batters with more than 2,300 County Championship runs since the start of the 2024 season, he boasts the highest strike-rate, having scored 2,525 at 66.06. He is unafraid to play his shots, but he does so at his own pace.
The step-up to Test cricket makes towing that line a tightrope walk. The biggest challenge for Gay will be maintaining that balance. As a voracious trainer, it is not one from which he will shirk, nor will he shy away from pursuit of emotional balance, which will be essential.
"You've seen the passion he spoke with when he came into the press conference," McCullum said. "He's an emotional guy and he wears his heart on his sleeve.
"It means a lot to him to represent England. That's natural and it's pretty hard to suppress those emotions and be able to handle the extra stuff you have to when you come to international cricket, and be able to do it straight away. Very few people can do that and there's a process you've got to go through.
"That was our job and Emilio's job over the last week; to slowly settle himself to the point where he got to the start line feeling ready, confident and like he didn't have to be anyone else other than himself."
With nine days to go until the second Test, Gay has time to reflect on an impressive debut before switching onto the next challenge.
He will arrive at The Kia Oval at ease with his surroundings - he boasts 290 runs at 48.33 across seven innings against Surrey, including a 156 for Durham last season - but aware the stakes are now much higher.
New Zealand, too, have time to lick their wounds and focus on overturning their 1-0 deficit. They have the wares to test Gay further, even out-wait him on what is expected to be a better batting track.
Given the two lives they gifted him during that 57, their existing plans could have worked just fine. The debut might be out of the way, but the real challenge is just getting started.