NEW DELHI: England registered a massive 115-run win over New Zealand before lunch on the fourth day of the opening Test at Lord’s on Sunday, making an encouraging start to a new chapter under the much-discussed “Bazball” philosophy following their disappointing Ashes campaign in Australia.Starting the day at 55 for 5 and needing an improbable 254 more runs for victory, New Zealand’s resistance quickly crumbled. The visitors lost their remaining five wickets within the opening session and were bowled out for 138.Fast bowler Gus Atkinson starred for England with figures of 5 for 30 on a pitch that consistently favoured seamers. The surface at Lord’s proved extremely challenging for batters, with 24 dismissals coming either bowled or lbw, while spinners failed to bowl a single delivery throughout the match.Glenn Phillips remained unbeaten on 44 and was New Zealand’s highest scorer, though it capped a difficult outing for the touring side.The series opener had attracted significant attention as England looked to move on from a turbulent Ashes tour that ended in a 4-1 defeat to Australia amid criticism over preparation, tactics and off-field conduct.Among the major selection calls for this latest phase under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes were the inclusion of opener Emilio Gay and the recall of seamer Ollie Robinson, with both players repaying the faith shown in them.Gay produced the highest score of the match with 57 in the second innings on his Test debut, while Robinson, playing his first Test since 2024 after concerns over his fitness and attitude led to his omission, claimed seven wickets in the game, returning figures of 5-39 and 2-38.Despite England’s dominant performance, the nature of the pitch made it difficult to draw broader conclusions. The match lasted only 166 overs, making it the second-shortest completed Test among the 150 played at Lord’s.“It’s a surface that we weren’t expecting,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham said. “I don’t think anybody expected a surface like that.”McCullum acknowledged the difficulties posed by the wicket but praised his side’s ability to adapt to the conditions and execute their plans in what he described as a “low-scoring shootout.”“We were brave at times and calculated at other times,” England’s New Zealand-born coach said.The teams will now head across London for the second Test of the three-match series at The Oval, which begins on June 17.
