New Delhi: England defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the first Test at the Lord's Cricket Ground in London to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series. The catalyst of England's win in this match was ex-skipper Joe Root who completed his career's 10,000 Test by scoring an unbeaten 115 with the help of 12 fours in 170 balls in the second innings on Day 4. The star batter became the second England batsman and the 14th in the world after Alastair Cook to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
Meanwhile, a video featuring Joe Root and his 'magical' bat went viral on social media. In the video, Root can be seen standing at the non-striker's end without holding the bat in his hand. What left the fans amazed was that somehow the bat managed to levitate and remain still without any support from Root. The ex-England skipper was batting on 87 when the freaky incident happened.
After the match got over, England players embraced Root's heroics by honoring him with a standing ovation when he returned back to the dressing room.
"Hopefully, we can use this as a way to step forward. The number of times Ben (Stokes) has won us Tests under my leadership, it's a great chance for me to give back to him. I love batting. I want to score as many runs as I can and win us as many Test matches as I can. As long as I've got the energy and the drive to do it, I'll do it," said Root.
"I couldn't wish for a better person to be leading this team," he concluded.