Root: 'We feel we have some strong plans in place for Kohli'

Captain of the England Test team, Joe Root believes England has to be really strong in the areas it bowls to Kohli and be really clear on how to get him out.

Published : Jul 31, 2018 21:14 IST , Birmingham

Joe Root claims he has plans in place for India skipper, Virat Kohli.
Joe Root claims he has plans in place for India skipper, Virat Kohli.
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Joe Root claims he has plans in place for India skipper, Virat Kohli.

The last time Adil Rashid featured in a Test match, he finished with figures of one for 153, going at over five runs an over. That was two years ago in Chennai, when India declared on 759 and romped home by an innings.

England's senior players and selectors believe, though, that Rashid has improved a great deal since. He was named in the XI for the first Test ahead of Moeen Ali, Joe Root sufficiently impressed with the leg-spinner's form in limited-overs cricket.

READ: India aims to start English summer on positive note

"They both bring different things to the table but with the amount of right-handers we think are going to be in India’s team he gives us a very attacking option," the England captain said at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

"He’s bowling with a huge amount of confidence at the minute, seems in a really good place with his game, and has matured a hell of a lot since he last played Test cricket," he added.

 

Rashid's call-up has been controversial to say the least, with Geoffrey Boycott calling him a "spoilt brat" in his newspaper column this week. Root felt, however, that Rashid was not affected by the criticism.

ALSO READ: Boycott: 'Rashid is spoilt brat, England selected 'unselectable'

"No, it doesn’t look like it has at all. He’s gone about his business as he has all summer and how he does it in the one-day side. Obviously, I was in favour of the selection and I think it gives us a really great attacking spinning option. In terms of the criticism, people are entitled to their opinions and can voice what they want. I think it’s slightly unfair but that's my opinion."

Root was asked if Virat Kohli's failure in England in 2014 would play on the Indian captain's mind this time. "Maybe. The only person who can answer that is Virat," he said.

"From our perspective, we'd love similar form but we know how good a player he is and what he is capable of. He's come a long way in the last few years in this format in particular. We feel we have some strong plans in place for him but ultimately when you play against the world's best players they generally have answers. So we're going to have to be really strong in the areas we bowl to him and be really clear how we want to get him out," he signed off.

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