England captain Joe Root pointed out that the Indian team that won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year set a great example for the rest of the touring teams on how to tackle the conditions in Australia.
Earlier this year, an injury-ravaged Indian team sans Virat Kohli managed to script an incredible turnaround in their tour of Australia. After losing the Adelaide Test courtesy of the infamous 36 all-out, Ajinkya Rahane and co. scripted a turnaround to win the series 2-1.
“A lot of teams have struggled in the past to get results here. So of course we’ll take confidence from that. Credit to India – they played exceptionally well throughout that whole series. In many ways, they set a good example for any touring team to come here and play.“
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“We’ll try and lean on a few learnings throughout that series – but we’ve also got to play to our own strengths and make sure that we’re doing things our way. Grabbing those big moments within the series, I think, is going to be key for us. Trying to get on the right side of those big swings,” Root said ahead of the first Test.
Of course it will decide my captaincy – Joe Root on the Ashes series
Joe Root also reckoned the upcoming Ashes series will certify where he stands among the great captains of England. He recently became the captain with the highest wins for England with the win against India at Headingley but many suggest the Ashes series will decide his credibility among the former greats.
“Of course it will define my captaincy, I’m not naïve enough to think it won’t. If you look how hard it’s been for English captains and English teams [to win in Australia] over the years, it has been something which doesn’t happen very often. But what a great opportunity. I’m very excited about it and can’t wait for the series to get going.”
“You look at some of the players, some of the individuals, some of the performances guys have put in. The senior guys have done it time and time again and the junior guys have shown glimpses of what they can do and their potential. What better stage to really grab a series and make an announcement on the international stage. I’m an Ashes player and I want to live in the history of this great rivalry. That carrot is there for everyone,” Root further mentioned.
The Ashes series begins on December 8 with the first Test being played at the Gabba in Brisbane.
