Joe Root stated England captain Ben Stokes had urged the facet to play like “rock stars” following a record-breaking win over India.
England’s Joe Root celebrates his half-century on Day 4 of the fifth cricket Test match between England and India at Edgbaston, Birmingham in central England on 4 July 2022. Picture: Geoff Caddick/AFP
BIRMINGHAM – Joe Root stated England captain Ben Stokes had urged the facet to play like “rock stars” following a record-breaking win over India.
Set 378 for victory within the Covid-delayed fifth Test, greater than every other England crew have managed and the eighth highest chase within the 145-year-old’s format historical past, the hosts’ made a mockery of the problem throughout a seven-wicket win achieved with greater than two periods to spare at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
Root completed on a commanding 142 not out, with Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow’s unbeaten 114 his second hundred of the match and fourth in his final 5 Test innings.
Root, after compiling his twenty eighth Test century, wiggled his little finger on the England altering room in a reference to a scene from the recently-released Baz Luhrmann film ‘Elvis’, in regards to the legendary rock ‘n roll star Elvis Presley.
Stokes succeeded Root as captain after the star batsman stood down following a run of only one win from 17 Tests.
But England have struck few bum notes because the appointment of a brand new management pair in Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, with this their fourth win from 4 matches beneath the duo following a 3-0 whitewash of Test world champions New Zealand.
“It’s about trying to have fun and really relishing every opportunity you get to showcase what you’re about and put on a show for everyone,” stated Root. “It’s like being a kid again.”
The 31-year-old, a veteran of 121 Tests, added: “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to feel or look like a rock star but for 10 seconds out there I might have done.
“That’s what the little pinkie celebration was about. Ben watched the Elvis movie the opposite day and he is been doing that each one week. It was somewhat tribute to him.”
Root, while essentially an orthodox batsman, said all-rounder Stokes had encouraged him to broaden his repertoire, with a reverse ramp for six off India medium-pacer Shardul Thakur on Tuesday evidence of a growing range of strokes.
“The Yorkshireman inside me continues to be saying ‘dig in, play straight and get behind it’,” said Root, mimicking a forward defensive shot.
“Then there’s the captain on my shoulder saying ‘be a rock star’. So you are preventing between the 2 of them, typically.”
‘INCREDIBLE TURNAROUND’
Stokes suggested he would have been happy with an even larger chase.
“There was a little bit of me that nearly needed them (India) to get 450 (forward), to see what we did,” he said.
“Chasing 378 seven weeks in the past would have been a scary factor for us to have a look at however we knew what we have been going to try to do.
“The last five weeks have been an incredible turnaround. I don’t think everyone can understand what has happened here.”
India have been 2-1 up final yr, when Root was captaining England, just for the fifth Test in Manchester in September to be postponed simply hours earlier than the beginning due to coronavirus considerations throughout the vacationers’ camp.
But India coach Rahul Dravid, who solely succeeded Ravi Shastri in November final yr, had no complaints about having to play a revitalised England on the again of only one warm-up sport.
“I don’t want to make excuses,” stated Dravid. “We had our opportunities, we played well over the first three days.
“We could not preserve that. We weren’t in a position to do this and so they (England) did that higher than us and so they deserved to win this Test match.”
India’s defeat was compounded when the crew have been fined 40 p.c of their match price and docked two World Test Championship factors for sustaining a gradual over-rate at Edgbaston.