England captain Joe Root says he has learned a lot from the ongoing Ashes tour. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Ahead of the fifth Ashes Test, England skipper Joe Root has admitted he won’t shy away from leading his country to Australia in four year’s time. Root has had a tough time with off-field controversies derailing England severely. But the captain admits he has learned from this tour.
“Of course, I want to captain England here in four years. Yes, it’s been a long trip with stuff that you don’t want to have to deal with on occasions, but I think I’ve gained a lot from that,” Root said on the eve of the final Ashes Test in Sydney.
“I’m looking forward to the different challenges that will present themselves after this trip. I want us to be the best side in the world, and that’s not going to happen overnight,” 27-year-old Root added.
Root further said he now knows what is needed to challenge Australia in their backyard.
“An extra bit of pace could be very important next time around. Having someone like Mark Wood fit for a long period of time could be very useful. We’ve also seen how crucial the spin department can be over here, so we have to make sure it is as strong as it can be. And, as a batting group, we’ve got to be prepared to bat for long, long periods of time,” Root stated.
England badly missed Root’s inability to convert the fifties into centuries. Root had notched only three fifties so far in the series with 67 being his highest, while his counterpart Steven Smith has piled on runs making it a habit.Ashes
“You see that, and you want to be the one doing it. Smith has probably been the difference between the teams. Take his runs out of it, and we’ve been there or thereabouts to win. So credit to him. He’s played exceptionally well. But it’s a little lesson to me on leading from the front,” Root mentioned further.
Root backed out-of-form all-rounder Moeen Ali, who has picked only three wickets so far in this series. He said Ali had struggled so far in this series, but he will play more cricket for England.
