Joe Root scores 75 as England chase 463 against New Zealand

"

Second Test D4: NZ 391 & 362; England 291 & 182-5 Stand-in captain unbeaten on 75 after Jamieson haul What do you get if you pick three debutants, two more with just one cap each, a strike-bowler who is returning to Test cricket after two solid months of sending down four-over spells in India, and hand the captaincy to a guy who has spent the last four years with the job happily in his rearview mirror? Throw in a seasoned opposition side like Tom Latham’s New Zealand and the answer, England have discovered this week, is the need to knock off a monstrous fourth-innings target of 463 runs – or bat out nearly five sessions – to avoid a defeat that will invite questions beyond simply that optimistic selection. Continue reading...