OPINION
Follow UsAt the start of the series, the question for England was how Brendon McCullum’s left-field selection as the new red-ball coach will affect them. Will his attacking intent rub off on the side and if it does, are England a side that can pull off that style of play?
Two matches into McCullum’s first assignment, both questions have been answered in the affirmative. If anything, McCullum’s modus operandi has gelled with Ben Stokes’ natural flair, epitomized by his constant shuffles down the track against the fast bowlers.
“Run into the danger rather than back away or stand still,” said Stokes after the win at Trent Bridge where England cantered to a 299-run target in exactly 50 overs. That is a run chase on the final day of a Test match at 6 runs per over.
The shades of this calculative aggression were seen in the first Test at Lord’s itself. In a game where 24 wickets fell on the first two days, England sailed to the target of 277 runs at a healthy run-rate of 3.5.
When the Kiwi skipper, Kane Williamson threw Ben Stokes the bait of the left-arm spinner, Ajaz Patel, Stokes carted him for two sixes in the over with bludgeoning slog sweeps. The chase was still in a tricky situation but Stokes maximized the first opportunity to put one of the specialist bowlers of the opposition out of the attack.
Not to mention Joe Root shifting gears. With Stokes, he was playing the support act, batting at 34 off 89 balls at the point of his skipper’s dismissal. After Stokes, he scored 81 off 81 balls in the typical Root style but was more proactive. The upside: England chased down the target with the ominous second new ball still 1.1 overs away.
*****
The same aggression was at the cornerstone of sealing the series win at Trent Bridge, even when the chips were down. On the first day, it was evident in their field placements. The slips were constantly packed but unlike the earlier England, a sweeper cover wasn’t placed at the first hint of attack.
553 behind at the start of the first innings with the bat, Ollie Pope completed his hundred in 160 balls (strike rate 62.5) while Root was more rapid than Lord’s, reaching his hundred in only 116 balls - his most attacking ton in Test cricket as yet.
When Stokes walked in to bat in this innings, England had lost two wickets for 10 runs and were still 209 runs behind. Instead of grafting a big knock, he already had a win on his mind. 36 of his 33-ball 46 came in boundaries before he was caught in the deep searching for the third maximum of his innings.
Until Stokes’ dismissal at the score of 405/5, England were scoring at 4.3 runs per over. It was astonishing to see as only a year ago, the same team was chasing the eight ball like they are walking on a land full of mines.
If that was astonishing, the run chase on Day 5 may well have left you searching for your jaw. 299 runs in 72 overs on a track with little lateral movement is a realistic task but England’s execution was clinical enough to raze it down with 22 overs in hand.
*****
Alex Lees, who came into the match with a strike rate of 30.1 in his brief Test career thus far, set the tone with three boundaries in the first over.
The game was still in the balance at tea, with England 160 runs away from the target, New Zealand six wickets away from a series-leveling win and 38 overs left in the contest. It was obvious that both sides were going for the win no matter what. But the fact that England began the onslaught right at the start of the last session caught the Kiwis off guard.
Jonny Bairstow, having started the final session at 43 off 48 balls, raced to his ninth Test hundred which he completed in 77 balls. That is 59 runs from 29 balls with a lot at stake. England hammered 59 runs in the first four overs post tea out of which 45 came off Bairstow’s bat and another four off his pads.
In a Test of some uncharacteristic bad decisions, New Zealand opted for a short ball barrage with a shorter boundary in the leg-side. Bairstow deposited most of them for six.
"Ben at the other end said 'don't even think about hitting one down [the ground], hit it into the stands,” Bairstow revealed a piece of advice from his captain after the match.
In a knock of 136 from 92 balls, Bairstow’s false shot percentage was limited to 13 percent. Yes, the boundaries were short but with such clear thinking and control, he would have cleared most grounds. The 77-ball hundred is the fastest for England in Test cricket in the last 120 years. Stokes’ unbeaten 70-ball 75 looks slow only in comparison.
Their fifth wicket stand of 179 from 121 balls is a quintessential big chase partnership that has laid the foundation of England’s white-ball resurgence.
"We saw it as a one-day game. The pitch was very good, outfield was fast, and that's how you have to look at it,” Bairstow said.
*****
Incidentally, the white-ball resurgence of England began with New Zealand as the opposition in a high-scoring ODI series in June 2015. Then, Bairstow only featured in the series decider, scoring an unbeaten 83 off 60 balls to announce himself a part of England’s “new era” in the shorter formats.
This time, after scores of 1, 16 and 8 in the series, the right-hander notched up his first hundred in home conditions in over six years. This time, a red-ball resurgence has come to the surface, with an attacking display akin to their white-ball cricket philosophies, once again, against New Zealand. Back then, Brendon McCullum was the opposition skipper. Now, he is a part of their dressing room as their new head coach.
Last but not the least, the fact that they notched up an unforgettable run chase without a handy contribution from Joe Root will lead to a massive shoot-up in confidence.
