India vs England 2021: ‘Got to be prepared to bat for long periods’ – Joe Root looking to gain consistency ‘away from home’
Follow Us
India and England are all set to lock horns in a four-match Test series starting from February 5. Coming into the series, England captain Joe Root is proud of the way his side has improved over the years, especially when it comes to playing overseas. Root asserts that they now have the ability to take 20 wickets ‘away from home.’ And the story has been the same with the batsmen.
Root shares that lately, his side has been able to breach the 400 run mark rather regularly in the first innings. He is hopeful of extending their consistent run in India. And put up a good fight in the difficult subcontinental conditions.
“In the past, we have struggled to take 20 wickets, especially away from home. But I think we’ve discovered a way of doing that (take 20 wickets). We’ve also become more consistent and we make big first-innings runs. We have now gone six or seven times past the 400 mark in the last 12 or so Tests, which is a great achievement and something that we need to keep doing if we’re going to seriously compete in away conditions,” Root told The Hindu.
Stay in the game and take every Test deep
Opening up on the game plan, Root shares that the plan is to bat long. He adds that the tourists will look to stay in the game as long as possible. And the motive will be to take every game deep to give themselves a fighting chance.
“You’ve got to be prepared to bat for long periods. When you get in, especially in the first innings, you’ve got to really make it count. That’s what we’ll be aiming to do. Hopefully, we can stay in the game for as long as possible and take every Test deep against a quality side,” Root said.
The first Test of the series will be the 100th red ball game for captain Root. The Yorkshireman is excited to play the milestone Test in the country where the journey started in 2012. During his nine year long career, Root boasts of 8249 runs at an impressive average of 49.39. He has scored 49 half centuries while his century count stands at 19.
He said, “It’s great to come full circle and be back here [in India]. The way it started on that first tour in 2012, it was a real eye-opener for me, learning to play spin, playing with some great players and strong opposition. To come back to Chennai and play my 100th Test is very special. I can’t wait.”
Also Read | ‘It’s about sticking to your strengths’ – Jack Leach wary of ‘complicating things’ on maiden India tour
Stay Updated!
Anshuman Mahapatra
(1496 Articles Published)