The second Test at Trent Bridge looks set for a thrilling end on the last day after England bowlers restricted New Zealand to 224/7 — an overall lead of 238 runs — at stumps on Day 4 on Monday
Joe Root and Ben Foakes leave the field at the end of day’s play. Pic/ AFP
England gloveman Ben Foakes believes that winning the second test match against New Zealand won’t be a straightforward task. He added that the home team’s batsmen will look to “bat normally” and then assess what to do later.
The second Test at Trent Bridge is poised for a thrilling end on the last day. England’s bowlers restricted New Zealand to 224/7 — an overall lead of 238 runs — at stumps on Day 4 on Monday.
With Joe Root and Ollie Pope both notching up tons in the first innings, along with help from Foakes who chimed in with a 50, England’s prospects of a victory are looking bright. Winning this test would also mean winning the series for the home team, as they’ll go 2-0 up in the 3 match series.
However, Foakes doesn’t want to count his chickens before they hatch. He said, “It’s in the balance for Tuesday, got close (in the first innings) then some aggressive and poor-thinking cricket has left it in the balance.”
Also Read: BCCI hikes pensions for former cricketers, umpires
“(We would like to) Bat normally (in the second innings), see how it is, then when (New Zealand) bowlers are tiring, you get scoring options,” added Foakes.
He expressed confidence that the charisma of former skipper Joe Root (176 in the first innings) will help the team bag the honours at Trent Bridge.
He also touched upon the vibe that has been created thanks to having a new captain and a new coach with an aggressive philosophy. Having won the first test also contributes to that factor.
“My main role was to stay with Rooty. When you’re that good you can do what you want. That’s the beauty of Test cricket, so many runs can be scored then things can happen fast. We are 1-0 up so they have to get back in the series. The whole vibe in the camp is brilliant, Baz (coach Brendon McCullum) is a pretty chilled guy and (captain Ben) Stokesy is similar. It rubs off on the team,” he added.
