If We Can Exploit The Events In Adelaide, That's Something We Will Look To Do: Joe Root

England captain Joe Root has his sights set on exploiting India’s weakness in the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad starting Wednesday. India levelled the four-match Test series in the second match, beating England by 317 runs after the visitors consigned Virat Kohli’s men to their first Test loss at home in four years. With the focus shifting to the day and night Test, Joe Root wants to make India repeat their batting horrors of the Adelaide day and night Test last year.

India suffered a severe meltdown during the first Test against Australia in Adelaide last year when the hosts bundled them out for 36. As a result, the visitors threw away the match from a position of strength and lost the Test in three days. However, it did not stop them from winning the series as India beat Australia by 2-1 to win the four-match rubber.

Joe Root is keen for India to exploit the events of Adelaide; however, he underlined that they need to build pressure consistently, make early inroads, bowl in good areas and challenge their defences. Hence, the 30-year old highlighted his focus and stated that it would be in the back of India’s minds.

“If we can exploit that [events in Adelaide] then that’s something we will look to do. But you have to earn the right, make early inroads, build pressure for periods of time and put balls in good areas, challenging defences. That will be our focus; [36 all out] is more for them to worry about, for it to be in the back of their minds,” Root told during a press conference.

It’s a very exciting prospect for the group: Joe Root

The Yorkshire captain added that with the pink-ball Test only two days away, they are at an excellent position and is an exciting prospect for their group. Root is prepared for the possibility of facing spinning tracks, considering they are playing at the sub-continent. Simultaneously, if conditions support swing and seam, the visiting captain feels that growing up in England, it should be in their favour. Thus, the right-handed batsman hopes to exploit the conditions as it comes.

“We are 1-1 with a pink-ball game two days away, It’s a great position to be in from our perspective. It’s a very exciting prospect for the group.Playing against India in the subcontinent, you expect the ball to spin, and I’m sure at some point it will. But if conditions are more seam-orientated, then the experience of growing up in English conditions should be in our favour. It’s about handling those conditions as best we can and try to exploit them with ball in hand,” he added.

Also Read: Jofra Archer Confident Of England Winning The Series Against India; Says Pink-Ball Test Vital To Their Chances