The greatest achievement of my time, says former New Zealand coach Gary Stead on Test series win in India
Last October-November, New Zealand scripted history by becoming the first team to whitewash India at home. The series loss for India, which was their first since 2012, came against all odds as New Zealand won three Tests in Bengaluru, Pune and Wankhede. It is a setback that India still haven't recovered from, as they have lost Test series in Australia and on the verge of another humbling in England.
Speaking of the series, Stead said it was a blessing in disguise to lose the toss in the first Test at Bengaluru, where on a green top, the Kiwi attack dismissed India for 46. 'We lost the toss in the first Test, which was a blessing in disguise because we would have batted as well,' Stead was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. 'It did feel just a little bit damp on top, but it just took one session to put us right on the front foot. The way Matt Henry and Will O'Rourke bowled that day was fantastic. And then we just went about our play.
'That first Test in Bangalore was a little bit different because the wicket was pretty good. While it nipped early, it did flatten out, and we probably got the best of the batting conditions there. Then it was really a war of attrition after that when we bowled again just to stay in the game and make sure their lead wasn't too big, because cracks were opening on the pitch, and it could have been pretty difficult in that last innings,' Stead said.
Thereafter, despite India resorting to spin-friendly conditions in Pune and Mumbai, New Zealand spinners outbowled the hosts. Even on the batting front, the Black Caps batting unit showed better application as India failed to win a single Test in the series and were outplayed in all three departments. Stead believed a lot of it was down to their experience of playing in Sri Lanka before the tour, which came very handy in India. 'I guess we looked at it and thought, you win one Test in India, it's as good as what most teams do over there at times. But then we really shifted our attention to Pune and that was a very, very different-looking wicket. We knew it would spin from the very start. But that and then the game in Mumbai is where I think the lessons from Sri Lanka really gave us the opportunity just to be really clear on the way we wanted to play. We won a couple of tosses, which helped. We got probably the best of the conditions. They're (India) obviously tough to beat over there, their record shows that. For me, it's probably the greatest achievement of my time from a results point of view that we had,' Stead said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
6 hours ago
- India.com
Joe Root Creates WTC History, Becomes 1st Player To Achieve This MASSIVE Record
Star England batter Joe Root created ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history on Day 4 of the fifth Test against India at the Oval. During England's run chase, Root became the first-ever batter to score 6000 runs in WTC history . Playing his 69th Test, Root is the leading run-getter in WTC, having featured in all four editions of the tournament so far. With 20 centuries and 22 half-centuries, Root averages over 52, and is followed by Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Stokes and Travis Head in the top-five of the WTC charts. Most Runs In World Test Championship Batter Matches Runs Joe Root 69* 6000* Steve Smith 55 4278 Marnus Labuschagne 53 4225 Ben Stokes 57 3616 Travis Head 52 3300 Notably, the former England skipper has been on a milestone-achieving spree during the ongoing five-Test series against India. In Manchester, Root had overtaken Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-getter in Men's Tests. The seasoned England batter slammed his 39th Test century in the ongoing Oval Test and jumped to the fourth spot in the tally for most centuries in the longest format of the game. Most Hundreds In Test Cricket 51 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND) 45 - Jacques Kallis (SA) 41 - Ricky Ponting (AUS) 39 - Joe Root (ENG)* 38 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL) The 34-year-old also has the most catches as an outfield player in the longest format, a tally he topped during the ongoing series against India. Root's form with the bat holds England in good stead as they continue to embark on a big chase against India with the five-Test series on the line. Hosts England currently lead 2-1 in the five-match Test series, following memorable wins at Headingley and Lord's.
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
Most centuries in Test matches: Root surpasses Sangakkara to go fourth in all-time list
Joe Root notched up his 39th Test hundred, off 137 balls, during the fourth day of the fifth and final Test between England and India at the Oval on Sunday to become the fourth-highest century-maker in the history of the format. Root surpassed Kumar Sangakkara's tally of 38 tons, and is now only behind Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45) and Ricky Ponting (41) as far as Test hundreds are concerned. During his knock on Sunday, Root also became the first batter to register 6,000 runs in World Test Championship (WTC) history. The former England skipper, who has over 13,500 runs under his belt, is currently the second-highest run scorer in Test history and has set his sights on Sachin Tendulkar's record tally of 15,921 runs. Most centuries in Test matches Sachin Tendulkar - 51 centuries in 329 innings Jacques Kallis - 45 centuries in 280 innings Ricky Ponting - 41 centuries in 287 innings Joe Root - 39 centuries in 288 innings Kumar Sangakkara - 38 centuries in 233 innings
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
IND vs ENG 5th Test: Joe Root equals Sunil Gavaskar, breaks multiple records in The Oval masterclass vs India
delivered yet another batting masterclass to bring up his 39th Test hundred, further cementing his status as one of the greatest to grace the format. On Day 4 of the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval, Root reached the milestone off 137 balls, helping England close in on a series-clinching victory. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now As chants of "Rooooooot" echoed across the ground, the 34-year-old tucked a delivery towards long leg and scampered back for two, removing his helmet and raising his bat to the dressing room. In an emotional moment, he pulled out a headband and pointed skyward in tribute to Graham Thorpe. His proud parents rose to their feet in admiration from the stands. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The knock extended Root's dominance over India. His milestone now made it 13 Test hundreds against the visitors, the most by any batter, taking him two clear of Steve Smith's 11. This also pushed Root past Kumar Sangakkara's tally of 38 Test centuries, putting him behind only Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), and Ricky Ponting (41) on the all-time list. IND vs ENG: Josh Tongue on England's 374-run chase, Akash Deep's batting and The Oval pitch Root also became the first player to cross 6,000 runs in World Test Championship history. Playing his 69th WTC Test, he leads the run charts with 6,000 plus runs, ahead of Smith (4,278), Labuschagne (4,225), Stokes (3,616), and Head (3,300). With 21 centuries and 23 fifties in the cycle, his consistency remains unmatched. His innings came in a pressure situation, with England chasing 374 to seal the series 3-1. After Harry Brook's quickfire 111, Root took charge, frustrating India's depleted seam attack. His fifty came with a push to deep backward square leg, and from there, he kept rotating the strike and finding the gaps with clinical precision. The batter also equaled Sunil Gavaskar for most Test hundreds against an opponent. Root joined Gavaskar with 13 Test tons against India, and now is only behind Don Bradman's 19 vs England. Poll Is Joe Root one of the greatest Test batsmen of all time? Absolutely Somewhat Not really Root's ton was not just another number, it was a reminder of his unmatched ability to rise in big moments, control proceedings under pressure, and etch his name deeper into cricketing history.
