Joe Root discussed England’s future generation, his team’s strong trust in Bazball, and how the visitors want to contain India’s best hitters in an exclusive interview with JioCinema that was filmed before the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
Excerpts:
Observing the emergence of the next generation in England
It’s fantastic, and that’s all a part of the experience. Playing Test cricket over extended periods of time will cause players to depart the team and bring in young players. As you play more, you take on additional responsibility for making sure that the situation is both very pleasurable and conducive to their growth, comfort, and confidence.
These young individuals enter the stage, and Joe Root immediately gets the impression that they have a role to play on the squad.
Over whether England have any doubts during the opening Test innings over their Bazball skills
Nope. We will always play the way Joe Root knows how, regardless of the outcome of the match. It’s what has helped us succeed for a considerable amount of time. It’s what makes us feel most like ourselves. These are not unfamiliar circumstances for us. We were well behind the score when we faced India in that one-off Test match in England the previous time around, but we were still able to close the gap. On countless other occasions, we’ve taken on challenges that we never would have believed were possible. Therefore, we won’t give up on our beliefs or feel like we’ve lost the game.
Boosting the team’s confidence in Hyderabad following Ollie Pope’s knock
Ollie went out and, given the conditions, maybe produced one of the best foreign innings you’ll witness, particularly against that attack on that particular surface. Ideally, as we spend more time in these circumstances, we will be able to become more comfortable and maintain our composure. However, we can also maintain pressure and try to attack at the appropriate time when the circumstances and opportunities present themselves.
Regarding whether England keeps Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma front and center during team meetings
Our team no longer meets in person. One wonderful thing about our chats when Joe Root and I aren’t playing the game is how much fun and excitement we get from spending time together. It’s more real and honest, in my opinion, to have it at a dinner table rather than in a conference room. Joe Root believes that’s when you learn the most, whether it’s when drinking coffee in the morning or something else.
You mentioned two greats of the modern era. There will undoubtedly be concentration. They are highly experienced members of the current Indian batting lineup, and we are aware of their skills. So it’s obvious that they have a significant position in this test squad. It is important that you make an effort to deal with them as soon as possible. Joe Root would like to attempt to keep them as quiet as possible throughout the series because they have the ability to get big scores, and we have been on the receiving end of that on a few occasions.
India
