Twitter Reactions: Joe Root slams memorable ton as England mark new era with emphatic win
On a tricky track, England were asked to chase down 277 and the game seemed in New Zealand’s favour at this point.
The Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era in England cricket has gotten underway in style as the Three Lions thrashed New Zealand by five wickets in the opening Test. It was indeed an action-packed match as momentum enjoyed a rollercoaster ride throughout the contest. However, Joe Root’s remarkable century in the fourth innings meant the Kiwis went down at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Stadium.
On a tricky track, England were asked to chase down 277 and the game seemed in New Zealand’s favour at this point. Furthermore, the Kiwi pacers, particularly Kyle Jamieson, were brilliant with the new ball as the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals. With the scorecard reading 69/4, the visitors seemed firmly in command. However, new skipper Ben Stokes joined forces with his predecessor Root and the duo steadied the ship for England.
Joe Root completed 10,000 runs in Test cricket
While Stokes perished after scoring a well-paced half-century, Root didn’t put a foot wrong and remained unbeaten till the end. In the process, he also advanced to his 26th Test century and also became the second Englishman after Alastair Cook to complete 10,000 Test series. He was well supported by Ben Foakes towards the end as the wicketkeeper-batter scored an unbeaten 32.
Meanwhile, the first half of the contest saw batters enduring a horrendous time. Electing to bat first at the Mecca of Cricket, the Kiwis were bundled for mere 132 runs. In reply, England couldn’t do much either and got bundled out for 141, earning a nine-run lead. The visitors then gained command by posting 285 in their second innings.
While Daryl Mitchell slammed his second Test century, wicketkeeper Tom Blundell scored a valiant 96. Notably, the total would have been even more enormous had debutant Matty Potts and Stuart Broad not delivered fiery spells with the second new ball. While England’s chase didn’t start off too well, their former skipper eventually took them over the line. The hosts are now 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Meanwhile, let’s look at how Twitter reacted to England’s triumph:
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