"Bairstow has more strike-rate than Kohli, Rohit in IPL; NZ's WTC win the biggest scam" - Fans go berserk as England whitewash New Zealand 3-0
Led by Jonny Bairstow's carnage, England thumped Kane Williamson's New Zealand by seven wickets at Headingley on June 27. Just over a year after the Kiwis won the inaugural World Test Championship final in Southampton, England completed a clean sweep of the three-Test series against them.
Having already registered emphatic five-wicket wins at Lord's and Trent Bridge, the hosts needed 113 runs with eight wickets in hand on Day 5 of the third Test to complete the white-wash. The match became slightly interesting when rain forced an early lunch at the start and a well-set Ollie Pope got out in the first over.
Bairstow and former skipper Joe Root ensured that it was the only moment of relief for the Kiwis. The duo strung together an unbelievable 111-run partnership in just 14.3 overs to blow away the attack comprising Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Michael Bracewell, with the spinner taking most of the thrashing.
Bairstow scored the second-fastest Test half-century for England off just 30 balls and, with a match-winning six, took his overall score to 71. As he brought out his inner T20 beast, Root cantered alongside him in ODI mode, remaining unbeaten on 86 (125), tantalizingly short of his 28th Test hundred.
Both concluded the series as the top scorers for England in the series - Root with 396 runs at an average of 99 and Bairstow with 394 runs at a strike rate of 120.12. This sits perfectly in what many are calling the "new era" of English cricket under new head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
Fans and pundits on Twitter celebrated the performance in full fervor, reacting with hilarious memes, one-liners, and some brilliant statistics. Some even took potshots at the Kiwis for their WTC triumph.
Here are the best of the reactions:
ball 
A 3️⃣0️⃣ ball 5️⃣0️⃣ 🤯
#ENGvNZ https://t.co/iYPsfITya5
Jonny Bairstow, take the biggest of bows 👏👏👏
A simply outrageous way to end an outrageous series 🏴
#ENGvNZ https://t.co/UKzIWoHubY
Bairstow's 120 strike rate in this test series is higher than Williamson, Kohli and Rohit all managed during the IPL, which is quite fun.
Bairstow has gone mental. You're not supposed to succeed playing like that in tests.
Seriously, how is he doing that? 2 rupees paytm to anyone who can find out his method.
Fastest fifties for England in Tests
28 balls - Botham (Delhi 1981)
30 balls - Bairstow (today)
32 balls - Botham (Oval 1986)
Obscene from England. Jonny Bairstow whacks his third six to finish 71 from 43 balls and secure a 3-0 series win. They had won one from their previous 17 before.
So fitting that Jonny Bairstow hit the winning runs. Well done England
#NZvsENG
Unbroken 111-run partnership in 14.3 overs from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow🤯
Remarkable win for England, thrashing Test World Championship winners NZ 3-0. Root’s greatness got amplified with prolific run scoring, but Jonny Bairstow’s beenscene stealer with series of blazing knocks. Haven’t ever seen England play such aggressive cricket. India beware!
Joe Root cruising to another century...
Jonny Bairstow coming to the crease...
#ENGvNZ https://t.co/noljfIMNoC
Monstrous by England: the remaining 113 runs are knocked off in 15.2 overs today, with Bairstow finishing on 71 off 44. A 3-0 win over world champions New Zealand. And the strange sense that the game has changed.
Ruthless.Brutal.Bairstow.
https://t.co/XX2pL18b5I
Bairstow's ball-striking has been crackerjack in this series.
Especially his hundred in the first innings of this Test when the ball was swinging and seaming.
Bairstow playing Tests like T20 innings.. neeyellam manushane illa theriyuma🤒💥 https://t.co/KrPV7OT6Ja
Breathtaking from England in this series, eptimosed by the brilliance of Bairstow. The same team that couldn't bat for the last few years have chased 277, 299 and 296 without ever losing more than five wickets #ENGvNZ
England are playing the kind of cricket you really wanna tune into watch, fitting way to end the series with a bit of Bairstow madness. Unbelievable scoreline.
Jonny Bairstow 🔥 https://t.co/qImHjiMsfN
New Zealand winning the WTC must be the biggest scam in the history of cricket.
Bairstow literally treating them like Gully bowlers.
New zealand are biggest frauds of Test cricket.
2021 WTC doesn't count in my book
New Zealand ain't see their way since they were extremely lucky to be in that WTC final
This is what Bairstow said a couple of weeks back and now with these consistent attacking knocks, which turned out to be big match-winning ones as well, he has put this IPL vs County Cricket debate to rest.
#ENGvNZ https://t.co/3S3F5ICaGd
And that's all she wrote.
What an incredible win after being 55-6 in their first innings.
Jonny Bairstow, what a cricketer!
#ENGvsNZ
"It was about changing the mindset" - Ben Stokes on Bairstow's and England's performance
Stokes attributed the 'special start' to his captaincy career to a change in attitude towards Test cricket from his players led by the support staff. He said (via Cricbuzz):
"To walk away with 3-0 series win over the best team in the world is a special start. When I took over this job, it was about changing the mindset of the guys towards Test cricket, was about having fun. Huge amount of credit to Brendon (McCullum) and the backroom staff."
England will now face WTC runners-up India in the rescheduled final Test of the 2021 five-match series, starting on July 1.