Watch: Joe Root miscued a pull shot off Neil Wagner while batting on 95, handing New Zealand the momentum to secure an exhilarating one-run victory at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Root, fresh off a hundred in the first innings, looked good to make it two tons in as many innings. He had also stitched together a vital partnership with skipper Ben Stokes and seemed primed to lead England to another fourth-innings run-chase. Wagner, though, had other ideas. On the first ball of the 59th over, Wagner dug the ball in short. Root seemed prepared for it and seemed to open up his stance a touch, possibly to counter it. Unfortunately for him, the ball got too big on him and he could only splice it towards mid wicket, where Michael Bracewell did the rest. Root, annoyed with himself for the shot he played, also dropped his bat in anguish.
The wicket came at a crucial juncture for the Black Caps and tilted the momentum in their favour. Ben Foakes played an important knock of 35 but in the end, New Zealand did just enough to hold their nerve to secure a one-run win. Wagner was the star of the show for the hosts, scalping a four-wicket haul, which included the final wicket of James Anderson.
Watch Root’s dismissal here:
What has Root done?#NZvENG pic.twitter.com/Wz8cuHa7Kb
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 28, 2023
