Daryl Mitchell insurgence, Top-order failures, Day 5 blunders sum up New Zealand's nightmare

With the tag of reigning World Test Championship winners and the leadership of charismatic Kane Williamson on their side, the New Zealand team took an expedition to England with hopes of living up to their mantle. 

However, the same hopes were bolted out of the door by an insurgent and confident English unit, thus heralding their new era under a new captain and new coach in style.

Off the back of identical drawn series against Bangladesh and South Africa on their home turf earlier this year, New Zealand's quest to Test supremacy suffered further blows, three to be exact, during their month-long trip to England.

But more than the defeats, the manner of those defeats became the discussion point of New Zealand's pubs and dressing rooms. 

In each match of their three-Test challenge in England, the hosts walloped Kane Williamson's visiting troops in identical manners, i.e., by chasing down a daunting 250-plus on decisive days of the bout.

The repeated failures of New Zealand's top-order or their collective bowling blunders and the visitors' trend seemed to continue throughout June.

The results begged the inevitable question, "Did New Zealand learn nothing?"

In light of New Zealand's 3-0 thrashing, here is an autopsy report of the Black Caps' dreaded Test run in England:

A misfiring top-order

New Zealand's tried-and-tested openers, Tom Latham and Will Young failed to stitch even a single 100-plus opening stand upfront across all six innings of the series. Their lone 50-plus partnership came during their 84-run new-ball defiance on a flat deck of Trent Bridge.

Both Lathom and Young ended the tour with identical stats. However, while Lathom scored 133 runs at a substandard average of 22.16, the latter contributed 121 for his country at an even worse average of 20.16.  

Even captain Williamson misfired in the two matches he played, compiling just 96 runs across four innings without a single half-century. Moreover, Devon Conway, another one of New Zealand's top-order batters, managed to add just 151 more runs to his career tally.

Top-order's repeated woes in swinging English conditions often prompted the second half of the batting order to bat out of their skin. In one such instance, Colin de Grandhomme and others marked an outstanding rearguard effort to lift their side from 7-45 to a respectable 132 on the first morning of the series.

Daryl Mitchell's rise as a Test batter

Only 9 Test old before the start of the series, New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell turned out to be the lone rebel from his camp. The cricketer outperformed even the likes of run-merchant Joe Root and batting dynamite Jonny Bairstow.

Despite early wickets at the top, Mitchell stood up toe-to-toe with Test cricket's most proficient portmanteau, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, under pristine bowling conditions. As a result, the right-handed batsman aggregated 538 runs, about 142 more than the second-placed Root, to emerge as the leading run-getter of the series.

Mitchell's three successive tons elevated his series average to a Bradman-esque 107.60. So, fittingly, he was adjudged New Zealand's Player of the Series.

The 31-year-old received little-to-no support from the rest of his country's batters throughout the three Tests. Captain Williamson missing the second match due to a positive COVID-19 result certainly did not help his country's cause either.

Bowling caving into Day 5 pressure

England skipper Ben Stokes and former captain Joe Root orchestrated a match-winning run-chase exhibition on the third and fourth days of the opening Test. Root's fourth-innings 115* helped his side chase down 277 at Lord's as his country took an improbable 1-0 lead in the series.

Much like the first match, the visitors also started as favourites before the final innings of the next two games. However, the likes of Trent Boult and Tim Southee seemed to have carried the scars of Lord's for the remainder of the series.

The New Zealand bowling cartel conceded an economy of over 5.50 in the second and third Tests as England chased down 299 at Nottingham and 296 at Leeds, both inside 55 overs. Hosts' Jonny Bairstow was the wrecker-in-chief on both occasions, as he took Boult and co. to cleaners, first with his 92-ball 136 and then with his 44-ball 71* in the dead-rubber.

The road ahead for New Zealand

New Zealand will now tour Pakistan in December for two Tests as they continue their quest to defend their World Test Championship honours. The Black Caps will then host Sri Lanka in another two Tests next year to mark their final set of matches in the ongoing Championship cycle.