ENG vs NZ: “Great Chance for Me to Give Back to Ben Stokes,” Says Joe Root

After playing a match-winning unbeaten knock of 115 runs against New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s, Joe Root talked about his support for the new Test skipper Ben Stokes. England has started a new era under the leadership duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. Joe Root gave up the captaincy after the series loss in West Indies. England had won just 4 out of their last 22 matches under his captaincy.

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Talking about the Test match, both sides failed to cross the 150-run mark in their respective first innings. However, the pitch got better for batting as the game progressed, and England chased the target of 277 runs with 5 wickets in hand. The former English skipper played a key role in the run chase as he had good partnerships with Ben Stokes (90 runs) and Ben Foakes (127 runs).

“I want to score as many runs as I can and win us as many Test matches as I can”: Joe Root

In the post-match presentation, Root, who won the ‘Player of the Match’ award, said,

Root also said he believes Stokes is the best person to lead this team and he is happy that England, who had won just one match in their previous 17 games, have won a Test match after a long time. Here you will find more Cricket Predictions and analysis on the upcoming cricket matches that are being played around the globe.

While speaking to Sky Cricket after the post-match ceremony, Joe Root also admitted that captaincy had started to take an “unhealthy effect” on the rest of his life. There was plenty of criticism of Root’s captaincy, particularly after the Ashes debacle.

Root has been in excellent form in the longest form since 2020 after his performance dipped in 2017-19. During September 2017-19, Root averaged just 35.12 which has increased to 54.03 after that. The major change has been Root’s conversion rate. While Root converted just 3 out of his 16 50+ scores into hundreds during September 2017-19, he has converted 10 out of his 18 50+ scores into centuries since then.

Another noticeable change has been his performance in England. He averaged 31.8 during September 2017-19 in home Tests, which has risen to 59.47 since October 2019.

As far as this series is concerned, the hosts are ahead by 1-0 in the three-match Test series. The second Test will start on 10 June in Nottingham. This series is also a part of the World Test Championship 2021. While England are placed at No. 8, New Zealand are a spot ahead at No. 7. So, the upcoming games will be quite crucial for both sides.

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