ENG vs NZ: Fathers of Joe Root, Ollie Pope hug each other in stands after their sons' centuries
We're seeing England's greatest ever, said Pope on Root's form.
View : 1.7K
3 Min Read
England retained control of the second Test match against New Zealand at Nottingham with brilliant centuries from Joe Root and Ollie Pope. The number three batter scored 145 runs and the former Test captain was still at the crease with 163 runs at the end of day three. England is still trailing by 80 runs with 473/5 on the scoreboard, and given the nature of the pitch, the match is more likely to be drawn.
The 24-year-old batter scored his only second Test career century in his 25th match but Root stole the show on day three. He showed great aggression from the start as he continued his innings from where he left off at Lord’s. He completed his century with a four, and it came in just 116 balls, his fastest ever Test ton. This was his 27th Test century also, joint-highest by any current Test player. While he lifted his bat to celebrate, fans witnessed his and Pope’s father embracing each other while applauding the centuries of their sons.
Beautiful moment from today ❤️
The fathers of Ollie Pope and Joe Root embrace as both their sons reach 💯 for 🏴#ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/r2j13MKyjh
— England’s Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) June 12, 2022
Ollie Pope describes Joe Root’s ‘relentless nature’
Root never struggled with batting when he was leading the English side but he is totally different player with the captaincy burden off his shoulders. He is playing more freely now and looking unstoppable at the moment. He maintained an 81.50 strike rate at the end of day three, which was reflected in England’s 4.14 run rate.
Root is tipped to play more aggressively once England takes the lead on day four. Pope combined with Root to score 187 runs off just 249 balls to remain in the control. Ollie was full of praise for his former captain and described him as ‘England’s greatest ever’.
“We’re seeing England’s greatest ever. You don’t want to necessarily replicate what he does but try to learn as much as I can off of him. Whether that’s him throwing balls at you for 20 minutes at the end of the session, which he’ll always happily do, and if he sees something – even from the mindset point of view, trying to pick his brains as much as I possibly can, especially while he’s in this amazing run of form.”
“The relentless nature of what he’s doing is something I can really learn off. He wants success for his teammates as much as they do themselves, so it’s a great attribute,” Pope said at the end of day three.
Get every cricket updates! Follow Us:
Download Our App