London [UK], Nov 25 : England skipper Joe Root said that the team “missed an opportunity” to score runs in the first innings which resulted in an innings and 65 runs defeat against New Zealand in the first Test on day five on Monday.
“We missed an opportunity if we’re being brutally honest. You look at the two [first] innings in comparison: two of their guys went on and made really big contributions. We had a couple of guys play really well but could have done with making those big scores – making a score over 450, really. That was a big opportunity for us that we missed,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Root as saying.
England won the toss and opted to bat first. They were bundled out for 353 in their first innings in which Joe Denly scored 74 runs while Ben Stokes amassed 91 runs.
New Zealand, after scoring 615 runs declared their innings with a lead of 262 runs. BJ Watling scored his first double ton and became the maiden Kiwi wicket-keeper to do so. He played a knock of 205 runs.
“There were probably a lot of similarities where we had them four or five down for the score where we finished on day one… the difference being they had a guy with a double-hundred and someone supports him with a hundred,” Root said.
“We had three guys Stokes, Joe Denly and Rory Burns play very well. I’m not trying to take anything away from our boys – we played extremely well, we just have to do it for longer, do more of it, and make those nineties, seventies and fifties into big scores,” he added.
England resumed their innings from 55/3 on the last day of the first Test and were bowled out on 197. Denly and Root added 14-run brief partnership for the fourth wicket. Root (11) became the first scalp of the day and was caught by Tom Latham at gully off Colin de Grandhomme, reducing England for 69/4.
Ben Stokes along with Denly provided a 52-run partnership to get past the 100-run mark. Stokes, after playing a knock of 28 runs was bowled by Tim Southee.
England were in trouble as they lost Denly (35), Ollie Pope (6) and Jos Buttler (0) in quick succession.
Sam Curran and Jofra Archer built a stand of 59 runs for the ninth wicket but could not deny their side’s defeat. Archer (30) was scalped by Neil Wagner, taking New Zealand close to victory in the 97th over. On the next delivery of the same over, Wagner put the final nail in the coffin and dismissed Stuart Board on a golden duck.
For New Zealand, Wagner bagged five wickets while Mitchell Santner clinched three wickets.
The two teams will now face each other in the second Test at Hamilton from November 29 to December 3.
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