London, June 20: Joe Root produced another masterclass under pressure to keep England’s hopes alive in the second Test against New Zealand, remaining unbeaten on 75 as the hosts closed day four on 182 for five in pursuit of a daunting world-record target of 463 at The Oval on Saturday.
England require a further 281 runs on the final day, while New Zealand need five wickets to level the three-match series at 1-1 after dominating much of the contest.
Faced with an almost impossible chase, England’s innings got off to a disastrous start as the visitors’ pace attack reduced them to 40-3. Kyle Jamieson struck twice in the opening exchanges, dismissing Emilio Gay and Jacob Bethell, while Ben Duckett fell cheaply to Will O’Rourke, leaving the hosts staring at defeat.
With the pressure mounting, Root once again assumed the role of saviour. The stand-in captain steadied the innings with a composed knock and, in the process, became only the second batter in Test history after Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar to reach the landmark of 14,000 Test runs.
Root found an able ally in vice-captain Harry Brook, who counterattacked in typical fashion. Brook’s entertaining 58 came off just 33 balls for his half-century as he took the fight to the New Zealand bowlers. The pair added 97 runs for the fourth wicket, briefly raising hopes of an improbable chase and injecting life into an otherwise tense contest.Both batters successfully overturned lbw decisions against Matt Henry through reviews, but New Zealand eventually broke the partnership when Brook edged Henry to slip. Despite the breakthrough, Root remained firm at one end, continuing to frustrate the visitors with a blend of patience and precision.
Debutant James Rew also played a useful hand, scoring 15 and helping England avoid a collapse before he was trapped lbw by Jamieson late in the day after a successful review. His dismissal left England on 182-5 at stumps, with Root still holding the key to the hosts’ survival hopes. (Agencies)
