English Test skipper Joe Root was optimistic of England winning the final Test against the Windies at the Lord’s after a humiliating and shocking defeat in the 2nd Test at Headingley. Root expressed his and his team’s desire to finish the summer on a high and win the series albeit against the minnows.
England declared the innings with only five wickets down and set the Windies a target of 322 runs, which backfired and allowed the visitors to script a dramatic run-chase which ensured them scripting a historic victory. Root backed his call and said this is how the current English side plays but that decision backfired in the 2nd Test.
“It’s great to be back at Lord’s, where we had some success against South Africa earlier in the summer. We have a point to prove after the last Test at Headingley – we want to finish the summer strongly and win the series.”
“If we’re honest, for the first three and a half or four days in Leeds, we were behind the eight-ball and trying to find a way back into the game. But I was pleased with the character of the side to fight back into a position where we could declare and try to force a win.”
“Regarding the declaration, that’s how we want to play. We want to win, and we want to take every opportunity to win,” Root wrote in his column on the official England Cricket Website.
He also stressed on the fact that one of the biggest challenges for his current side is to perform and win matches on a consistent basis and reach the top spot in the rankings. He said that even against South Africa they lost a Test but managed to play well in three Tests which resulted in them winning the four-match series by a 3-1 margin.
“One of the challenges for us as a side remains backing up one good performance with another. We managed to do it three times after the Trent Bridge defeat against South Africa. If we can get on a roll on a more consistent basis, we will become one of the best – if not the best – sides in the world. That’s what we want to achieve.
One of the pleasing things has been the way every player in the side has put in a valuable performance at some stage. We’re not just relying on one or two individuals. It excites me that different guys are stepping up,” Root said.
He also expressed his happiness at completing his first stint as the Test skipper of the England side and said it was an amazing experience thus far.
“I’m coming to the end of my first summer as England Test captain, and it’s been amazing so far – I’ve loved it. We want to finish strongly with a win and look forward with confidence to an exciting winter in Australia and New Zealand.”
He also offered his best wishes to the outgoing bowling coach of England who has been appointed as the head coach of the South African national team.
“Finally, I’d like to offer my best wishes to Ottis Gibson, our fast-bowling coach, who leaves us after this Test to become head coach of South Africa. Ottis is a fantastic coach who can be proud of the work he’s done with our seam bowlers. He’s had a big impact and I look forward to coming up against him in the near future,” Root signed off.