England in Sri Lanka and India 2020-21

England test captain eager for challenges to come after ‘frustrating summer’ with bat

Having turned 30 earlier this week, and facing a decisive year as captain that will include his 100th Test and culminate in England’s attempts to win back the Ashes in Australia next winter, Joe Root is hopeful that he can be on the brink of some of his best achievements. years as a hitter.

England have won each of their last three test series, something they last achieved when they rose to No. 1 in the ICC rankings in 2011, but without significant contributions from their captain. Root averaged 41.61 against South Africa, the West Indies and Pakistan, with a high score of 68 not outside, and his final century came on the New Zealand tour in November 2019, but said he was motivated by the challenge of leading from the front. . ahead of six tests in Sri Lanka and India.

“I certainly hope so,” Root said when asked if he felt like he was entering his prime years. “I have worked as hard as ever to make that the case. As a player, you are always trying to evolve and improve. One thing that you are always going to gain is experience and a greater knowledge of the game itself and your own individual game, how you handle situations. I just have to try to put all of that together and give myself the best chance to go ahead and score.

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“I’m very excited about what’s ahead of us. It’s a really exciting schedule with some good hard cricket involved and some great opportunities throughout.

“It was a pretty frustrating summer where I didn’t get going, but I feel like my game is in a really good place and something big is just around the corner. It’s being patient, enjoying it as much as I can and enjoying leading a game. side that is getting better all the time. That’s the exciting thing, the amount of cricket we have this year is a real rarity and something we haven’t had in a while – a lot of cricket in Asia, which is a huge challenge.

“The next two series will be a good indicator of where we are as a team and as captain you want to lead by example. In terms of motivation, there is a lot for me to go out and produce great scores. Conversion rate is a mental issue, I have to make sure that when I hit 50 I become greedy, selfish and make those beginnings count. I have to keep working hard to get to those positions, knowing that I am a good enough player to turn them into match winning contributions. “

While England won 3-0 in Sri Lanka two years ago, they will return with a significantly different team – missing players like Ben Stokes (rested), Rory Burns (on paternity leave) and Adil Rashid (managing a long-term shoulder problem ). ) – and Root suggested that they would be “naive” if they tried to reproduce the exact same formula as last time.

“It will be a little different,” he said. “What we have to assume is trust and faith, the positive elements of it. We were excellent in many ways to win 3-0. But I’m sure the conditions will be different and your team’s brand will be different.” with a new coach, captain. And we also have a very different structure for our team. So it would be naive to expect the same, we have to be smart, see what we have in front of us and play for Our forces.

“We have some very talented players, you saw it in the summer, on the surface at Old Trafford with a flamboyant twist, we have players in the order who can handle that and score great runs, similarly, bowlers who can exploit that and Experienced guys from last time in Sri Lanka. We are confident that we can get two brilliant victories, but we are also aware of the talent and challenges that Sri Lanka will present us with. “

On the issue of England’s best eleven, Root noted that Jos Buttler, who scored just his second test century in his last outing, against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl in August, was his preferred choice as goalkeeper, albeit with the grueling nature of the game. England trip. For the subcontinent likely to impose higher turnover, Ben Foakes is expected to have another chance to stake his claim at some point.

“When it comes to the selection of the teams, we will see the conditions, we will consider everything and we will make a decision when we are there,” said Root. “What I’m going to say is we have Jos Buttler coming off 150, probably in the best shape you’ve ever seen him in test cricket. As far as I’m concerned, it’s going to have to be a real unique situation for that. change.

“Jos, as a senior member of the team in great shape, was an integral part of our success at the end of the summer. I’m very excited for him to carry that form forward.

“For Ben, at some point there is a chance that an opportunity will arise on the tour, and when he has that opportunity, he will have to seize it. We can choose a team today or tomorrow; there are so many situations that we can find ourselves in. Between now and that first game, it would be a mistake to discount something in terms of composition of that first XI at this point. “