(06-06-2022, 10:02 PM)Keshan Wrote: Incredible game - it was anybody's until that last day.
Kiwis are quite special aren't they? Barely any prep, their best batter out of form. Jamieson coming into it out of form. Boult straight from IPL. Wagner can't make it to the 11 - but still tremendous fight.
Turns out that final ball change they made towards the end of 3rd day backfired on them. The ball stopped doing anything after that. Because the previous old ball was just starting to swing when it happened. Root or someone said, it became that much easier after they changed it as well.
Root was pretty emotional at the end, during the pressers. A win after so long. Will go down as one of his very best hundreds. Switched gears brilliantly - when Stokes got out. Allowed Fawkes to settle down as well and play a really good knock from the other end.
Think I said it elsewhere as well, Root should be the model batter to any young boy or girl watching the game - especially for 50 overs and test cricket. He keeps the scoreboard always ticking, barely any risk and he's almost there and thereabouts at run a ball. As the opposition side, you suddenly look at the scoreboard and the guy is on 30 already.
Wish Sanga was able to bat like him in ODIs. Sanga used to, come in under pressure, do the hard yards and just when we wanted him to go big - got out those days. Chris Silverwood should just make our current team look at him bat when he is addressing the dot ball issue.
Stokes' batting was frantic at the beginning there. He was trying to not let the game go to a second new ball, which was why Root also picked up quickly when Stokes got out. But he could be a little more sensible I think.
One of the biggest points of difference for England was their fielding. Finally they held on to their catches. Ground fielding was superb - hit the stumps more than they've ever done in a game in the last 18 months I think. It kept them in the game..
So many great moments throughout the game
- Opening spell from Broad and Anderson on Day 1
- Kiwi fight back with the ball
- Blundell and Mitchell partnership
- The Broad over with the team hattrick
- Jamieson's bowling - battle with Bairstow
- Degrandhomme's absolute stinker of a game
- Stokes' innings
- Root's ton
Should be a good series. Kiwis can only get better from here - because coming into it they were under prepared. English batting is still very fragile.
Very true. Back in the day I used to call him a power play killer....