The astonishing Daryl Mitchell

From being a backup player to the linchpin of Kiwi’s batting lineup Darryl Mitchell has come a long way. The son of New Zealand union rugby coach and former player John Mitchell has enjoyed tremendous success over the last few weeks. The 31 year old had a breakthrough test series with bat in hand against the mighty England. With 538 runs in 6 innings at a startling average of 107.6, the NZ all rounder became only the second batsman after Sir Don Bradman to achieve the incredible feat of scoring a century in each game of a three match series in England. Active COVID cases in the NZ camp compelled New Zealand to try out Mitchell as a makeshift batsman and boy oh boy didn’t it work like a charm. The NZ cricketer, despite playing 19 matches, was never seen as a first choice for the playing XI. Henry Nichollas and Colin de Grandhomme’s exclusion (due to COVID) from the squad acted as a blessing in disguise for Mitchell. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands and proved his mettle as a seasoned cricketer. He displayed a water tight technique, exceptional tenacity and grit to ace at this level. The surprising story of Daryl Mitchell teaches us that patience radically increases the capacity for success.