ENG vs NZ | 'I was just trying to do what Ben Stokes said' - Jonny Bairstow

England's Jonny Bairstow played one of the most surreal knocks in Test history last evening (June 14) at Trent Bridge, registering the second-fastest (77 balls) Test ton for England, missing Gilbert Jessop's (76) record by just one ball.

His knock of 136, coupled with skipper Ben Stokes' 75 off 70 balls, handed the hosts a 2-0 series win over New Zealand with one match remaining.

Speaking about his knock, Bairstow revealed that it was Stokes whose words spurred him on in the middle.

While talking to Cricbuzz, he revealed, "Ben said, don't even think about hitting it down, just plant it in the stands. I was just trying to do what the captain said. The message at tea was just run into the fear of where the game was, rather than stand still or back away from it. It was pretty much, 'We're either winning this game or losing it.' But we're never going to be happy with where we are."

The pair added 179 for the fifth wicket after New Zealand caught England on the backfoot, pinning them for 93 for four in pursuit of 299.

The wicketkeeper-batter went on to admit that this knock was his best for England.

"I'm not sure about 'picking the right ball'. Strip it back; it's only you and the bowler there. That's the bit that sometimes gets complicated. If you strip it back, and just watch the ball, that's the zone right there, and you have to get in it.

"This is No.1 for me; it'd be tricky not to be. There's been a lot of chatter around England's Test cricket over a few years, some of it's been harsh, but I'm hugely proud about how we've gone about it in the last few years. It has enabled us to get closer as a group, and if we can keep that momentum, the sky is the limit," the 32-year-old concluded.

He was out on 136, which came from just 92 deliveries, and included 14 fours and 7 huge sixes.

The third and final Test at Leeds will commence on June 23, giving players and fans much-needed breathing time after the blockbuster second Test.