Certainly a challenge for Root: Kiwi coach expects de Grandhomme to keep troubling English captain

Shane Jurgensen said that wily swing bowler Colin de Gradhomme would be much more than just a challenge on an overcast Saturday morning at Lord’s. After the third day getting washed out completely due to rain, the Kiwis would be hopeful to wrap the English innings up inside the registered 98 overs to be played on day four.

“Colin certainly presents a challenge for Joe. Joe’s such a fantastic player … a very good captain, and it’s a great battle, and me personally, I love watching it from up on the balcony,” said the Blackcaps bowling coach. 

Jurgensen, a skiddy customer himself during his playing days for Western Australia and Tasmania, believes that de Grandhomme might not be express quick but packs a punch while bowling a heavy ball. 

“On the speed radar you may see 115-125 kilometres per hour, but as you see when he hits the cricket ball, and he hits it a long way, he’s extremely strong, so he does bowl a heavy ball and I think that’s what you say yesterday, he had the ball either jumping up or down and was getting some movement,” the 45-year-old said. 

Testament to Jurgensen’s claims was the bowling performance by the right-arm medium pacer who conceded just 12 runs in his nine overs on day two. In fact, of the 30 balls that Root had to face off de Grandhomme, 29 were dots. The Zimbabwe born all-rounder would be on the cards as the Blackcaps would take the field to break the 93-run partnership between Root and Rory Burns, who is on 58, with England 111-2 in reply to the visitors’ first-innings total of 378.