Ben Stokes lauds team after crushing New Zealand in first Test
England team in action [Source: Twitter]
England thumped New Zealand in the opening Test match of their two-Test series at Mount Maunganui, winning the game by a whopping 267 runs, thus registering the first Test win on Kiwi soil in fifteen years.
Following an impressive batting performance resulting in a respectable total of 374, England managed to restrict New Zealand to a meagre 126 runs in the final innings of the Pink Ball Test match.
England skipper Ben Stokes, who has led his side to a 10th win out of 11 games since taking over, expressed his gratitude for being the leader of the formidable bowling attack, spearheaded by experienced players James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
The pair, who had already taken 997 wickets between themselves prior to the Test match, became only the second Test bowling partnership in history to surpass 1000 wickets together.
Anderson and Broad's combined efforts during the game led to a total of 12 wickets taken, placing them at the top of the leaderboard.
"Another great performance, very clinical with the bat and ball. Look at the attack we've got, with the pink ball under lights we executed as we wanted to. When you've got Anderson and Broad in your attack, you're always going to put the opposition under pressure. Most impressive thing was how we countered everything NZ threw at us," Stokes said after the Test match.
The England captain was commended for his strategic moves during the Test match. He declared England's innings after just 59 overs on Day 1, forcing New Zealand to bat during the final session under the challenging conditions of the Pink Ball Test.
The English team's dominance from that point onwards made it difficult for New Zealand to recover from their disadvantage.
Speaking about the tactics, the Englishman explained that their strategy for day-night games involves prioritizing bowling with the new ball under the lights.
Their fast-paced batting enabled them to establish an advantageous position and cause damage under the lights, as well as during the previous night.
Stokes also stated that he was blessed to lead the talented bowling group. He opined that they take the scoreboard out of the equation as their goal is to take all ten wickets.
The two sides will now take on each other in the second Test from Friday, February 24. The game will be played at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
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