New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has stated his group is missing confidence after its complete defeat within the first Test towards England however employees are backing the gamers to show issues round within the closing match in Wellington.
A depleted New Zealand was crushed by 267 runs at Bay Oval with the very best a part of two days to spare, outplayed with bat, ball and within the subject.
It was the Black Caps’ first loss to England on house soil since 2008 and their fourth in succession towards Ben Stokes’ group, having been swept within the three-match collection on tour final 12 months.
“They’re on a roll and playing with some real confidence,” a mournful-looking Stead instructed reporters of England on Monday.
“I don’t think it’s unfair to say we are probably lacking a little bit of that confidence at the moment because you don’t get the results.
“But I can assure you, the faith is still with this group of guys.
“We believe these are our best cricketers and we are going to put everything behind them to make sure we can go out there in Wellington and really, I guess, throw some punches back at England as well.”
Despite an damage to Kyle Jamieson and the absence of quick bowler Matt Henry as he awaited the beginning of his first baby, selectors snubbed former tempo spearhead Trent Boult for opting out of his nationwide contract and picked two debutant quicks as an alternative.
All the bowlers got here in for punishment from England’s aggressive batting, with Neil Wagner particularly roughed up as he conceded above eight runs an over within the second innings.
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Henry is on the market for the second Test beginning at Basin Reserve on Friday in a lift for the host however there was once more no S.O.S. despatched out to Boult as selectors persist with choosing contracted gamers.
Stead stated he was happy with how debutants Scott Kuggeleijn and Blair Tickner performed at Mount Maunganui.
“They kept coming hard. They kept stepping back up once they’d been hit and came back hard again,” he stated.
“That’s what we’re about as a team, as well. We don’t claim to be the best team in the world, or anything like that.”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com