"It's been a while since I made a solid contribution" - Joe Root following his unbeaten 153 on day two in Wellington
England's ace batter Joe Root felt it has been a while since he made a solid contribution towards the team's cause. The right-handed batter's comments came after second day's play against New Zealand in Wellington.
Root stayed unbeaten at 153 on day two of the second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington as England declared at 435-8. It was his first big score since his struggles against South Africa and Pakistan.
Speaking after the day's play, Root conceded that the partnership of 302 with Harry Brook set the innings in motion. As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, he stated:
"I felt like I owed that to the group. It's been a while since I made a solid contribution. To be part of such a big partnership was really pleasing and I think the best thing was I had the best seat in the house to watch Harry go about his business."
The Yorkshire batter heaped praise on Brook, stating how well they compliment one another and hailed the youngster's ability to put bowlers under pressure consistently.
"It's a joy to watch him play at the minute. He certainly made my life a lot easier out there, the way he manages to wrestle momentum in our favour and constantly put bowlers under pressure. I felt we had a really good understanding, we negated a few modes of dismissal by getting down the crease. We fed off each quite nicely and made it difficult for them to bowl one length for us."
Brook was arguably the star of the show as he hardly looked out of sorts despite walking at 21-3 on day one. The 23-year-old hit his 50 off 51 balls and his hundred off 107 deliveries. He was the first English batter to fall on day two, perishing to Neil Wagner.
"There’s no doubt his own performances will come" - Joe Root on Ben Stokes
Reflecting on Ben Stokes' run as captain, Root felt the all-rounder's man-management skills are top-notch and backs him to produce telling performances when the time comes. He added:
"I think he’s doing a brilliant job of getting the best out of himself as a leader. The decisions he’s making under pressure, the way he’s managing the team and his players is as good as I’ve seen. There’s no doubt his own performances will come and you know he’s the kind of big game player when there will be a situation where we’ll be up against it and he’ll stand up and deliver. It’s just a matter of time."
In reply to England's steep total, New Zealand slumped to 138-7 before persistent showers interrupted the day's play.