Former England captain Nasser Hussain on Wednesday lauded the captain-coach combination of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum in the team that won the second Test by five wickets at Trent Bridge, saying McCullum and Stokes have overcome their fear of failure in their team. have done it. A new era in the longest format of the game.
Chasing a target of 299 runs in 72 overs to win the second Test against New Zealand on their final day, England posted a total in 50 overs, thanks to Jonny Bairstow’s sensational 136 from 92 balls, which included 14 fours and 14 fours. There were seven. Sixes He shared an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series with Stokes (75 not out) adding 179 runs in just 20.1 overs.
“McCullum and Stokes have taken away the fear of failure from this England team. There was a lot of doom and gloom around them. Players lost, largely because of Covid, the love and joy of playing for England. Johnny Right as Bairstow pointed out on Tuesday night, the previous management was dealt with a very difficult hand, but that spark, energy and fun is back,” Hussain wrote in his Daily Mail column.
A Test victory that will be remembered for a long time!
Full 15 minute highlights: https://t.co/c4vU44B1XM
#ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/KKkbJbSaUa – England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 15, 2022
Hossain further noted that McCullum and Stokes were justifying their point of wanting fans to enjoy Test cricket again, when England lost 4-0 in the Ashes to Australia and 1-0 to West Indies.
“You can talk, as Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have done since they got together, but it’s a completely different thing to go on. How England ran it here. He promoted Test cricket and inspired people Talking about enjoying it.
“Well, if you haven’t enjoyed the five days of this second Test then cricket really isn’t for you. With a consistently positive, aggressive mindset New Zealand’s first innings chase of 553 was truly phenomenal and once England parity It got so close to New Zealand in the third innings of the Test. England took it away from them.”
Every boundary of one of our greatest Test innings of all time
#ENGvNZ | @jbairstow21 pic.twitter.com/ekzhhPVgn7 – England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 15, 2022
Praising Stokes, Hossain pointed out how the all-rounder’s influence on England has been a driving force in their reset runs in Test cricket that started on a bright note.
“Stokes was definitely here at Trent Bridge on Tuesday and you can see the impact of his mindset. He’s a very smart cricketer, not just a hit off the field. Every time he’s in a big moment – like That Headingley 2019, the World Cup final and now here – he finally exists.
“He gets the job done over and over again. Remember, Stokes put New Zealand up before they made such a big total. I’ve been there as England captain and you think, ‘What’s going on here?’ But to Ben it looked like, ‘Okay, he’s scored 553, let’s go and do the same and do it quickly’.
Hussain said McCullum’s appointment as Test coach was proving to be a master stroke.
“I said at the time that Rob Key was the right choice as England’s managing director and Stokes was the right choice as captain. Kee then went to the left field to appoint McCullum when someone called him a potential Test coach. Didn’t think of the form and it’s already proven. To be successful.”
