Root stands between England and defeat as New Zealand press for win

Joe Root once again became England’s buffer against collapse, finishing unbeaten on 75 as the second Test against New Zealand drifted into a final day with England still 281 runs short of an improbable target of 463. At The Oval, England closed on 182-5 after Root and Harry Brook, who made 58, steadied the innings against a New Zealand attack led by Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson.

The innings carried extra weight because Root also passed 14,000 Test runs, becoming only the second batter in the format’s history to reach the mark after Sachin Tendulkar. It was another reminder of how often Root has served as England’s institutional insurance policy in pressure moments, holding the line when more aggressive plans have unravelled. If England were to pull off the chase, it would need another composed effort from a batter who has spent much of his career rescuing difficult positions.

New Zealand, though, remained firmly in command after first-innings totals of 391 and 362 gave them the platform to press for a victory that would be only their eighth Test win in England and their first since the 2021 World Test Championship final at Southampton. England had arrived at this position after beating New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord’s to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, but the visitors had forced the contest to its edge by the close of day four in London.

The broader England picture was shaped by Ben Stokes’ absence. The captain was omitted from the second Test while the England and Wales Cricket Board investigated a breach of team protocols following a nightclub incident after the first Test, when Stokes and Gus Atkinson were present in the early hours of Monday morning as an incident took place. Stokes answered that setback with runs of his own, making 95 for Durham against Northamptonshire at Chester-le-Street, a reminder of how much England still lean on their most established names even when they are not in the XI.

Root’s return to the captaincy, his first since stepping down in 2022, has put that dependency in sharp relief. He had led England in a record 64 Tests and won 27, the most by any England Test captain, and with the third Test due to start at Trent Bridge on June 25, the question is whether England’s bold Test identity can keep standing when Stokes is absent and Root is left to hold the middle together again.