On Friday, England’s Harry Brook extended his streak of record-breaking performances in Test cricket (February 24). After entering into bat on Day 1 of the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington at 21 for 3, Brook hit his fourth Test century in six games, ending unbeaten on 184 off just 169 balls.
Vinod Kambli, a former Indian batter, had previously held the record for the most runs scored in the first nine innings in a Test match until Brook’s innings. The Sunrisers Hyderabad player has now scored 807 runs in his first nine innings, breaking Kambli’s previous mark of 798 runs.
In fact, by the end of this Test match, Brook might improve upon this record and pursue a different one. With 912 runs scored in the first six Test matches, former India great Sunil Gavaskar holds the record. Sir Donald Bradman is second with 862 runs. Throughout this Test game, Brook could surpass both of them.
In an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 294 runs, Brook and Joe Root contributed to England’s total of 315 for 3 after Friday’s rain-shortened first day of the second cricket test against New Zealand. After 65 overs and a procession of records and milestones, a day that started unpromisingly with a lost toss and three early wickets concluded with England taking unbeatable control of the game and series.
Brook’s innings, which surpassed his 153 against Pakistan in December as his greatest Test score, was his fourth century in his past five tests. He already has 807 runs from just nine Test innings, more than any other player in Test cricket history at that time in their career. He also has three half-centuries.
He now has athletes like Sunil Gavaskar, Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes, and Henry Sutcliff behind him. In Wellington, he has already scored the most runs by an English batter.
With England 21-3, Brook stated that he entered the crease with “just the typical mindset, to be honest, just the way I’ve been playing for the entire time I’ve been playing test cricket.” I tried to exert pressure on the bowler while being as cheerful as I could, he said. “I did make a few minor adjustments, but generally, the happier you are, the more you can get away with.”
Before the rain started, Root reached a major milestone by scoring his 29th Test century. Currently, England and the Yorkshiremen have the highest fourth-wicket partnership against New Zealand. The first test, which England won by 267 runs, confirmed their dominance over New Zealand.
England currently appears certain to become the first side to defeat New Zealand in a test series at home in six years.
Brook was named man of the match after scoring 89 and 54 in the first Test, both at more than to run a ball and helping New Zealand lose the match. The home team had only a few days to recover from their thrashing, and they were bolstered on Friday by the return of fast bowler Matt Henry and batsman Will Young, while England named an unchanged squad.
New Zealand would have been pleased to have won the toss and bowled first, especially after Henry and Tim South had early success and England fell to 21-3 in less than seven overs. Then came Brook, and the match was transformed once more. His first half-century came from 51 balls, and his century came from 107 deliveries, with the second 50 coming from 56 balls.
He then went on to score 150 from 145 balls, significantly increasing his and England’s scoring. The third half-century required only 38 balls and served as a test for New Zealand, which was losing the match.
