Root and England upbeat despite Trent Bridge loss

England lost the third Test by 203 runs at Trent Bridge on Wednesday but still leads the series 2-1.

Published : Aug 22, 2018 20:55 IST , Nottingham

England skipper Joe Root backed a struggling Alastair Cook who scored just only 80 runs from the three Tests.
England skipper Joe Root backed a struggling Alastair Cook who scored just only 80 runs from the three Tests.
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England skipper Joe Root backed a struggling Alastair Cook who scored just only 80 runs from the three Tests.

England skipper Joe Root believes England still holds the upper hand in the series heading into the fourth Test, set to begin in Southampton on August 30.

England lost the third Test by 203 runs at Trent Bridge on Wednesday but still leads the series 2-1.

"Yes, we're definitely in the driving seat as far as the series goes," Root said.

"We have to keep remembering that. We have got a little bit of time now to go away and reflect on what has been a difficult week.

But in England we are a very good side at bouncing back from a tough couple of days – and one thing you can never question about this group of players is the character and the way they can respond to a difficult passage of play. I'm fully expecting the guys to come back to Southampton refreshed, ready to go and we hope take an opportunity to wrap up the series," he added.

Alastair Cook's form has increasingly come under scrutiny, with the veteran opener aggregating only 80 runs from the three Tests this series. But Root felt the 33-year-old still had a place in the side.

"I think we have to be realistic about the surfaces we’ve been playing on. Throughout the whole summer, they’ve been very much tailored around seam bowling and we’ve had some very bowler-friendly conditions.

The hardest point to bat is opening. He’s a world-class performer, he’s proven that time and time again and actually I’d like you to write him off because every time he’s written off he comes back and scores a double hundred."

Root was asked if England's batsmen were learning from Virat Kohli, as the assistant coach Paul Farbrace had suggested they should.

"You’re always looking to learn across the board, not just individual players," he said. "He’s played extremely well, he’s been very disciplined in terms of what he’s trying to do and how he’s trying to score his runs. It’s impressive to see how he has managed to do that for long periods of time in difficult circumstances.

I suppose the art of learning is managing to adapt that to the way you play and not trying to copy exactly how someone else goes about things."

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