England vs New Zealand: Shane Watson lauds Daryl Mitchell after stellar run in Tests – Incredible to see him dominate
India Today
In three matches in England, Daryl Mitchell scored 538 runs at an average of 107.60 and a strike rate of 50.42 with three centuries and two fifties to his name.
Former all-rounder Shane Watson heaped praise on New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell for the latter’s incredible run in the three-match Test series against England. Although the Black Caps lost the series 0-3, Mitchell grabbed the headlines by finishing as the leading run-scorer.
In three matches, Mitchell scored 538 runs at an average of 107.60 and a strike rate of 50.42 with three centuries and two fifties. Watson, who has played 59 Tests in his career, said that batting in conditions as tough as England isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination.
"It has been incredible to see Daryl Mitchell come into this England series and just dominate," Watson was quoted as saying to Sanjana Ganesan in The ICC Review.
"I know how hard it is to be able to score runs over in England and for him to play his first Test in England at Lord's and bat the way he did, where it can be one of the most challenging places to bat because of the slope alone, was special. Daryl Mitchell just ate it up as he did throughout the series," he stated.
Back in November 2019, Mitchell made his Test debut at the age of 29. Watson reckoned that making a Test debut late in his career has been a blessing in disguise for the Hamilton-born Mitchell.
"It can work in your favour by debuting later. If you debut early in your career, especially in Test cricket, you are still working through your technique, your gameplan, your mindset and you can get exposed in your early to mid-20s.
"But when you get more of a chance halfway through your career, then you’ve typically got all the facets (of your game) together. You’ve got a deep understanding of your game, what works and the appreciation that hasn’t always been there,” Watson added.
