Former England Captain Questions Ben Stokes' Follow-On Decision In Wellington Test
England are leading the two match series 1-0 (Source: Twitter)
Former England skipper Alastair Cook, expressed his dissent regarding the decision made by Ben Stokes to enforce the follow-on during the Wellington Test against New Zealand on Sunday. The hosts were dismissed for a total of 209 in their first innings and the England captain, opted to ask them to bat again with the aim of securing a victory.
However, the opening partnership between Tom Latham and Devon Conway allowed the Kiwis to regain their footing in the game. By the end of the day's play, New Zealand were at a total of 202 for three, trailing England by only 24 runs.
In a statement reported by The Mirror, Cook stated that he would not have enforced the follow-on were he in Stokes' position as he feared that the pitch would flatten out. Despite acknowledging that England are still in a favourable position to win the game and the series, the former England opener suggested that the players could benefit from some rest and that the bowlers could remain fresher for New Zealand's second innings.
Following the play on Sunday, England's assistant coach, Paul Collingwood, offered his perspective and explained that Stokes had no intention of enforcing a follow-on and instead aimed to clinch a victory on the third day of play. He also acknowledged that as a team, they are aware that there will be challenging days such as the one they encountered.
The England bowlers will look to wrap up the Kiwi innings quickly on Day 4. On the other hand, the BlackCaps batter will look to build on the foundation set by their openers and secure a formidable lead, giving their bowlers something to fight for in the fourth innings against a ruthless English batting line-up. Overall, Day 4 promises to be a fascinating contest between bat and ball.
 "Jatin")
