England’s Test captain, Joe Root on Monday said England will take “confidence” after clean sweeping Sri Lanka in a two-match series at home before challenging the world number two India. Spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess played a crucial role as the visitors defeated the hosts by bundling them out for 126 in their second innings.
Talking about the same, Joe Root said, “We’ve got four very important games against arguably the best team in the world in their own conditions. We’ll have to play right at the top of our game to win out there but we couldn’t be in a better place to go and challenge them.”
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The win was England’s second successive Test whitewash in Sri Lanka after the tourists won all three matches in the island nation in 2018. They have also managed to win five straight Tests away from home as they got past hosts South Africa in the final three matches of a four-match series to triumph 3-1 in January last year.
Talking about the same team’s impetus, Root said, “Definitely progress. For us to be able to turn that around, find ways of consistently taking 20 wickets is really impressive. We have just got to stay hungry and keep looking to get better.”
England hasn’t included Jonny Bairstow for the opening two Tests in India Tests owing to the rotational policy for its players during the coronavirus pandemic. Buttler, who scored 55 and an unbeaten 46 in the second match, will return home after the first Test.
Talking about the team combination, Root said, “We always want our best players there as often as possible, because of the world we’re in right now it’s not feasible and we have to manage that the best we can. But he’s still got an opportunity to affect the series and sure he’ll be desperate to keep up the good form.”
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The first two Tests of the series will be deciding the finalists of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship, which expected to be played on empty stadiums.
