Joe Root: I'm living my boyhood dream ahead of Headingley return
‘I’m living my childhood dream’: Despite the agony of India dominating this summer’s series, England captain Joe Root insists he still loves the job
- Joe Root is preparing his England side for the third Test against India this week
- India are currently dominating the series as it heads towards Headingley
- Root was criticised for his captaincy on the final day of the second Test at Lord’s
- The 30-year-old claims he is still enjoying his job despite criticism towards him
Joe Root had a simple response on Monday when asked how he keeps his spirits up with a marquee Test series against India and perhaps even his captaincy future on the line.
‘I’m playing for England,’ he said, boyish enthusiasm still just about intact. ‘I’m playing Test cricket. It’s easy to stay positive because I’m living my boyhood dream.
‘When I was 10, I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather do and I remind myself of that if we are having a bad day or when things are not going our way.’
Joe Root says he is living the dream as he takes his England side to Headingley against India
Root was accused of losing the plot on the final day of the second Test defeat at Lord’s
How Root needs that positivity going into the third Test on his home ground of Headingley on Wednesday after the horror show on day five of a tumultuous second game at Lord’s left his England side one down with three to play.
It is now or probably never against Virat Kohli’s aggressive, bristling but above all highly-potent India side. And England, bereft of many of their best players and with red-ball preparation as scarce as the sight of sun in August, are on the ropes.
At the centre of it all is an England captain again nudging greatness as a player but struggling for any sort of batting support and with problems piling up, the latest being the withdrawal of Mark Wood on Monday with the shoulder injury he suffered at Lord’s.
The England captain (right) will attempt to draw the series level on home turf this week
‘I’m not going to lie, the last year and a half has been very difficult,’ said a captain now in the traditional danger area of four and a half years in charge. ‘But it’s really important not to drag what happened at Lord’s into this Test.
‘You can beat yourself up for hours about things you could have done differently but ultimately it doesn’t guarantee anything.
‘Look at the last Test we played on this ground. I’m sure Tim Paine would have done things a bit differently given another opportunity. You have to take it on the chin, draw a line and have a clear head going into the next game.’
Mention of that Headingley classic two years ago was both a welcome reminder of Australian misery — how comforting it is that the old enemy are currently beating themselves up over coach Justin Langer — and a sad one about absent friends.
The last time England played at Headingley was when Ben Stokes inspired an Ashes miracle
Ben Stokes, who pulled off that Leeds miracle almost single-handedly, is still missing and Root confirmed on Monday he wouldn’t be bothering his talisman any time soon.
Now Wood can be added to a list of missing bowlers that includes Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Olly Stone.
‘It’s frustrating for Mark and us,’ said Root. ‘I thought he bowled really well at Lord’s. He gives us a real point of difference with his pace and has been in good fettle. It’s something we will just have to deal with and gives an opportunity to someone else.’
The most like-for-like replacement for Wood would be the exciting newcomer Saqib Mahmood, and Root did big up a bowler whose attributes of distinctly sharp pace and the ability to gain reverse swing could be perfect for what is expected to be a flat pitch.
England will be without Mark Wood (above) who joins a long list of injured bowlers at present
But the indications in training on Monday seemed to suggest Craig Overton is favourite to get the nod ahead of Mahmood, with Sam Curran looking certain to retain his place despite two largely ineffective Tests in this series.
One player sure to feature is Dawid Malan, back after a three-year Test absence and set to bat at three, with coach Chris Silverwood having pulled the plug on Zak Crawley and now Dom Sibley in the top order after investing so much time in the pair.
‘Dawid will give us a lot of experience,’ said Root. ‘Not necessarily in the Test game but he has played a lot of international cricket. He played in a massive series in Australia and was our leading run-scorer there. We know he’s capable of big things in Test cricket.’
Root (right) will also have to deal with a buoyant India side led by captain Virat Kohli (left)
Now there’s just the small matter of dealing with Kohli and company. Do England still plan to fight Indian fire with fire, as Silverwood suggested after Lord’s?
‘When you’re out there and it gets heated, it’s a passage of play you have to manage and they managed it better than us,’ added Root of the hour on the last morning of the second Test when the captain and England lost the plot. ‘We have to make sure we go about our cricket the way we want to.
‘I thought Lord’s was a brilliant Test. Yes, it hurt us, but what an advert for the greatest form of the game. It showed the excitement and the ebbs and flows of Test cricket. It can’t be beaten if you ask me.’
Now Root and England have to make sure it is India who are beaten this time.
Chris Woakes, one of England’s walking wounded, took three wickets from 14 overs on his comeback from a heel injury for Warwickshire seconds yesterday at New Road against a Worcestershire team fielding their first XI because of a lack of first-class cricket throughout August.
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