ENG vs NZ

We all go through bad days and bad weeks. But in sports, as it is in life, it is how well you can bounce back from it. Led by Matt Henry's heroics, New Zealand put the demons of Lord's behind them and clinched a massive victory here. Now, the teams head to Nottingham with the series levelled 1-1 and everything to play for.

Will England be able to bounce back from this loss? Will Ben Stokes play the third Test? Will New Zealand continue the good work? Plenty to look forward to. Do join us on June 25, when the Nottingham Test begins.

For now, this is Darpan and Pradeep saying goodbye! 

Tom Latham (New Zealand captain): "It has been a fantastic week. It was a week of moments. We managed to get our noses in front at crucial moments. [What were those moments?] For instance, the partnership between Glenn Phillips and Kyle Jamieson to get close to the 400-run mark. Then, getting back to back wickets in the bowling innings. Then, the partnership between Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra. [On the two century-makers] We certainly know the talent that GP has got. Jofra bowled a pretty hostile spell. But he showed what he has. I though the way Henry (Nicholls) came out and absorbed the pressure was fantastic. [On Matt Henry] He kept it at the top of off. I think he is a pretty good exponent of putting it on the mark for a long period of time. He has been a spearhead for us. I thought Tom Blundell contributed well too by standing up to the stumps for nearly the entire innings."

Joe Root [England captain]: [On New Zealand's victory]"Credit to New Zealand. I thought they played extremely well. There were a few key moments when the game was evenly poised, and they won those moments. They thoroughly deserved the result."[On leading England amid changes and disruption]"I really enjoyed stepping back into the captaincy role and working alongside Baz again. It was also a fantastic opportunity for some of the younger players coming into the side. There was a huge amount of good across the five days, but we need to do things better for longer periods."[On England's missed opportunities]"At times we weren't quite switched on enough in the field. When you drop chances and miss opportunities against a quality side on a good batting surface, it will hurt you. We have to learn from that, be sharper, and make sure we're smarter in those moments."[On the performances of England's younger players]"A lot of the younger guys can be really proud of how they handled themselves. Making a Test debut is challenging enough, but having several players doing it together and contributing the way they did was really encouraging."[On Glenn Phillips' impact in the first innings]"Glenn played a brilliant innings. Jofra bowled an outstanding spell at him, but Glenn recognised the situation, got through a difficult period, and then cashed in the following morning. It's a great example for our younger batters of how to manage pressure and build an innings in Test cricket."[On reflecting after defeat]"When you lose, it's natural to look at what you could have done differently, but sometimes you also have to acknowledge when the opposition plays exceptionally well. New Zealand did that throughout this Test, and they deserved to come out on top."

Matt Henry is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: Matt Henry (New Zealand)[On his match-winning performance]"Thank you. I certainly didn't expect the match to unfold the way it did today, but it probably saved us from spending another long, hot day in the field."[On recovering from his injury setback]"The break between the first and second Tests was massive for me. It was about regaining confidence in my body after the back spasms at Lord's. It never feels good when you can't contribute fully and feel like you've let the team down, so it was great to come here and get through my overs and play my part."[On New Zealand's first-innings effort]"Those first-innings runs were crucial. Glenn Phillips' hundred was obviously a huge contribution, but there were a lot of important moments throughout the innings that perhaps don't get as much attention. The top order worked hard in challenging conditions on Day 1, which allowed the ball to soften and created the platform for the middle and lower order to build on."[On the bowling unit's success]"As a group, we spoke about being relentless and creating pressure from both ends. We felt it might take until the final session on Day 5 to get the result, so it was about staying patient and sticking to our plans. Everyone played their role, and it was satisfying to see that effort rewarded."[On Tom Blundell's role standing up to the stumps]"A huge amount of credit goes to Tom. We've used that tactic before in New Zealand and felt it could help keep batters in their crease and limit their scoring options. You can only do it when you have someone of Tom's quality behind the stumps. He was outstanding and made a real impact on the game."[On adapting as a fast bowler]"I've always believed it's better to be effective than to look like a hero. The priority is getting the job done. We knew England like to score quickly, so it was about finding ways to create pressure and make the stumps a threat. Tom's work behind the stumps was a huge part of that."[On leading New Zealand's bowling attack]"It's a lot easier when you're surrounded by a strong bowling group. The likes of Kyle and Will have worked incredibly hard to come back from injuries, and Matt Smith continues to improve. There is great depth in this attack, and that makes everyone's job easier."[On finishing the match quickly]"The short turnaround before the next Test was in the back of our minds, but first and foremost we wanted to get the job done. Having a few bowlers avoid another long spell today is certainly a bonus."

11:49 AM (4:19 PM IST): New Zealand win by 253 runs and level the 3-match series 1-1.

Henry Nicholls 121 & 24 | Matt Henry 5/80 & 6/29
Joe Root 77 & 46 | Matthew Fisher 50* & 0 & 2/62 & 3/58

After being thumped at Lord's in a Test match that moved at a galloping pace, New Zealand have bounced back to clinch victory at the Oval on the morning of Day 5. With this, the upcoming 3rd Test at Nottingham becomes a decider.

There were multiple factors that led to the turnaround. One of them was Matt Henry. Remember, what happened at Lord's? He could bowl only 4 overs on Day 1 and had to stay off the field post that due to some back spasms. He did return on the following days but was not at his 100%. Here, he put all doubts to rest and went on to register his best figures in a Test match, breaking the back of England's batting in both the innings.

Don't forget Glenn Phillips' fighting century in the first innings. It went a long way in giving New Zealand a healthy lead. Other than that, it was a Test of comebacks. Playing his first match since 2022, Matthew Fisher impressed in both innings with his bowling. Add to that, he scored an unbeaten half-century in the first innings. Henry Nicholls, who had not played a Test in nearly an year scored a glorious century in the second innings. In the same innings, Rachin Ravindra returned to form with a fluent 76.

Jofra Archer returned to England's squad and delivered some fiery spells. Not bowling him on the morning of Day 2 went a long way in deciding the result.

For England, apart from the chaos and curfew controversy that surrounded this Test match, it will be remembered for Joe Root breaching the 14,000-run barrier. He needed to bring out his best today for the hosts to have a chance. Alas, Henry undid him early and the rest fell like nine pins, leading us to an early finish. 

58.1 Matt Henry to Jordan Cox, OUT! CLEANED HIM UP AROUND HIS LEGS! Henry fittingly finishes things off with a six-for! What a thumping win and they bounce back in style to go 1-1 in the series! Cox keeps shuffling across, exposes all his stumps this time. Henry goes full and straight, Cox misses the sweep and it's through to rattle the stumps.

William O'Rourke chased the ball down. Kyle Jamieson was not happy with it. He believes a boundary would have been a better result as it would have kept Baker on strike for the start of the next over.

57.6 Kyle Jamieson to Jordan Cox, OH! Cox moves across off-stump again, Jamieson targets to knock of the leg-stump with a full delivery, Cox just manages to get some bat on it, past square-leg for a single.

57.5 Kyle Jamieson to Jordan Cox, OH! Saw the batter shuffling across off-stump, Jamieson goes full and wide. Cox got cramped for room and decides to defend.

57.3 Kyle Jamieson to Jordan Cox, SIX! Cox is having some fun. Banged in short, Cox down the wicket and clobbered it into the stands over deep mid-wicket for a maximum.

57.2 Kyle Jamieson to Jordan Cox, length delivery on the middle and leg. Cox hoicks it to deep mid-wicket, falls in no man's land and slows down near the ropes as they get pick up just the two.