As the days of the upcoming Ashes series in Australia draw closer, the England Test skipper is looking up to India’s superlative win at the Gabba to come with full force and a fearless approach to stand up to Australia.
Before that Test loss to India, Australia had not lost the longest format of the game at the venue for decades and even the 2010-11 Ashes series, where the three lions emerged victoriously, they could come as far as drawing the Test.
Root emphasized the need for his teammates to win crucial moments of the game and carry on with earned momentum for a long period of time to turn the tables on the hosts Australia.
“Look at that India team that won at the Gabba. They were a long way from their first-choice XI but they had no fear, they stood up to Australia and won crucial parts of that Test. It will give every player in our squad a huge amount of confidence and just plant a little bit of doubt in Australia’s mind having to go back there and play again for the first time against us, what with it being such a stronghold for them for such a long period of time. We now know that it’s not,” Root said to The Guardian in an interview.
Root was also delighted to see one of his biggest match-winner and deputy Ben Stokes regaining a frame of mind to come back to the Test squad or the big series. Root reiterated his already made public stand that Stokes was given full time and space to consider himself fit, both physically and mentally and that the decision to take that “indefinite break” and now the return was taken solely by him.
“I’d got an inkling,” Root said. “I’d had some good conversations with Ben over the period while he’s not been playing. It was just such a joy to hear him speak, you could almost hear his smile, if that makes sense, down the phone. You could tell he was so much happier within himself. Just the fact he feels he’s in a place where he’s ready to play cricket again is the most exciting thing,” Root added.
“We made it very clear to Ben, it’s got to be right for you. You have to be in the right space to go and play, physically and mentally. One thing about Ben, he’s very honest, he won’t shirk any difficult conversations and he’s been true to that through the whole thing. We have been through a lot on and off the field. To see him now back in a place where he is able to enjoy his cricket again and feel more himself, that’s the best part of the whole thing. It’s just really exciting.”
Joe Root has not had a Test hundred in Australia but he is going there this time on the back of masterful centuries and plenty of runs under his belt and he will back himself to break that batting curse in Australia this time.
The first Test of the Ashes series will start on December 09 at the Gabba.