The intense moments, the silent battles, the wait-and-see and tiger-hunting skills that usually cannot be a short story like T20 mark Destin as a sequel. The ups and downs and risk curves are what keep Destin alive. All of them could be seen on the last day. The implication of the new language is that they are afraid to be a bit ignorant of the fact that only 210 runs, 90 overs and 9 wickets are in hand. England were stumped with a score of 80/5 on a field that should have held on if they had stood and bowled calmly.
Run outs are a crime in Tests. Especially when chasing a low score, the fall of wickets like Harry Brook’s can change the course of the match. So are the Tests’ underlying roots and partnerships. The Root-Stokes partnership responded by crossing 120 runs in over 25 overs. A spell that kills and a spell that wins, spells loaded with bouncers like Wagner will end the feud silently. Wagner dismissed both these settled batsmen. Stokes, who was caught at square leg while trying to pull short ball, and Root, who was caught at mid-wicket and got out with two consecutive wickets, Brad also left the wind in New Zealand’s favor.
New Zealand were unfazed by one try at a time. In addition to keeping the keeper in front of the fast bowling, slips, gully, fly slips were used to try to get the ball to get an edge. The back moved the keeper back and loaded the leg side, forcing the bowlers to come round the wicket to hit the short balls with head and leg. England never back down from attacking mentality. England’s aim was to fall rather than settle for a draw by defending itself with the shield. Test cricket was played in a wave that was going up and down alternately on both sides.
Even the boundary hit by Anderson Wagner in the last over with seven runs and one wicket at stake was painted with Bazzball. Even if it was a bit of a rout, the match would have ended there, and that was New England’s unfazed attitude. There was even a chance of a tie if the ball before the final ball, which was bowled slightly empty, was empty. Despite its escape, Bazzball and short balls together took Test cricket to its peak. It turned it into something that will be talked about over time.