The second Test match between England and New Zealand at The Kia Oval reached a dramatic point on Day 4. England faces a huge battle to avoid defeat, but Joe Root's historic milestone of 14,000 Test runs has given fans something special to celebrate. Joe Root became only the second player in cricket history to pass 14,000 Test runs, joining Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Root achieved this feat in his 302nd Test innings, which is 23 innings slower than Tendulkar, who reached it in 279 innings. Root is acting as the stand-in captain because Ben Stokes is absent. He ended Day 4 unbeaten on 75 runs off 137 balls. He is the main anchor holding England's batting line-up together.
Chasing 463, England got off to a terrible start. The top-order collapsed quickly, leaving the team reeling at 40 runs for 3 wickets. The top three batsmen were dismissed cheaply, putting immense pressure on the middle order. With England in deep trouble, Joe Root and vice-captain Harry Brook teamed up for a thrilling 97-run partnership. Brook played very aggressively, smashing a quick 58 runs off just 54 balls.
Both players had close calls and had to overturn "out" decisions by using the umpire review system. The partnership ended when Brook edged a ball from Matt Henry into the slips. Young batsman James Rew came in and helped steady the ship with Root. Sadly for England, Rew was given out leg-before-wicket (LBW) on a late review by New Zealand bowler Kyle Jamieson (3-37). This left England at 182-5 when the day ended, meaning New Zealand was now into England's lower-order batsmen.
Jofra Archer takes 3-fer against New Zealand, dismisses Henry Nicholls
Jofra Archer’s spectacular 3-wicket burst in the second innings was the definitive turning point that saved England from an even larger chasing nightmare. His high-intensity battle against New Zealand’s centurion, Henry Nicholls, provided the ultimate tactical drama on Day 4 at The Kia Oval. When Nicholls was on just 42 runs, he edged a roaring ball from Archer. Wicketkeeper James Rew could not hold onto the tough, diving chance. Nicholls took total advantage of that lifeline. He went on to smash his 11th Test century, anchoring a massive 168-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra.
He finished Day 3 unbeaten on 119, completely frustrating the English side. On the very first ball of Day 4, Archer found the edge of Daryl Mitchell’s bat, but Harry Brook dropped it at first slip. Feeling the heat, captain Joe Root immediately shuffled Brook to second slip.
A few moments later, Archer steamed in to bowl to Nicholls, who had only added two runs to his overnight score. Archer delivered a heavy, probing length ball right in the corridor outside off stump. Nicholls made a loose, flat-footed push at it. The ball caught a thick outside edge. Harry Brook lunged sideways at second slip and safely pocketed the ball.
