[Watch] Joe Root reaches his 36th hundred with reverse ramp on Day 3 of NZ vs ENG 2024 2nd Test
England's ace batter Joe Root crafted the reverse ramp shot for a boundary to bring up his 36th Test hundred on Day 3 of the second Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. It was also the Yorkshire batter's third hundred in New Zealand as he batted the hosts out of the game.
The incident occurred in the 83rd over of the innings sent down by Will O'Rourke. Replays indicated that the right-handed batter got the ball off his glove and guided it over the keeper and slip cordon. Root eked out another boundary by driving it straight down the ground but O'Rourke dismissed him on the third delivery.
Watch the video below:
England captain Ben Stokes declared the innings immediately after Root's dismissal, with their score at 427-6 and the lead amassing to 582, leaving the home side with an uphill task.
England bowlers shine once again after Joe Root's 36th hundred
England bowlers, who demolished New Zealand for 125 to eke out a 155-run first-innings lead, were in business again right from the outset. Only Kiwi captain Tom Latham reached double figures among the top four batters as the visitors reduced them to 59/4 in 14 overs. Daryl Mitchell (32) and Glenn Phillips (16) couldn't trouble the scores by much either.
However, keeper-batter Tom Blundell overcame his slump by cracking a brisk hundred, while Nathan Smith offered some resistance with 42. Nevertheless, the remaining few batters folded like a pack of cards to slump to a massive 323-run defeat. Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Shoaib Bashir snared two wickets each, while Ben Stokes scalped three. Gus Atkinson, who took a hat-trick in the first innings, picked up one.
With New Zealand losing back-to-back Tests after a series win in India, their World Test Championship (WTC) final chances have taken a massive dent.