- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
Root’s hunger bodes well for England
- Updated: July 23, 2016
Of all the revealing moments in Joe Root’s innings, it was perhaps the irritated swish of the bat upon his dismissal that was most revealing.
We have become accustomed to Root displaying frustration in such circumstances. He came into this game having converted just one of his previous eight scores of 50 into a century at Test level, after all, and having suffered what he described as “two poor dismissals” at Lord’s.
But this time he had scored 254. He had batted for more than 10 hours. He had registered the 15th highest score in England’s Test history and the third highest by an England No. 3. He had shown he had learned all the lessons from Lord’s – his first Test in his new role of No. 3 – and batted his side to a dominant position. You would think he might feel quite pleased with himself.
But instead he was frustrated. Frustrated at the manner of his dismissal and frustrated to tear himself away from the fun.
Such an insatiable desire for runs bodes well for Root and England. It suggests that, after a phase of his career where he has been content to produce attractive cameos and fluent half-centuries, he is developing the hardness to complement his talent. The discipline to maximise it and make it count. The hunger that has been a characteristic of the most successful – not necessarily the most talented – batsmen in Test history.
Root knows that scores of 70 rarely win Tests. They might on occasions but, generally, on surfaces such as this, they are insufficient.
He knows, too, that this team need more from him. They are a bit too flaky, a bit too fragile for him flirt and flicker. He is required to provide substantial contributions.
So, after the setback at Lord’s, he returned to the nets and worked on minimising risk. He reminded himself to play straighter, leave more outside off stump and make a point of rolling his wrists on any pulls or slog-sweeps to ensure the ball was played into the ground. If that meant some strokes brought singles rather than boundaries, that was fine.
“I wanted to nullify those Lord’s dismissals from my game,” Root said. “That’s why I was so revved up when I reached 200. It seemed like reward for all the hard work. It was pleasing to make one count.”
Some context is required for this innings. It has come on another disappointingly slow pitch, for sure. But it has also come against a fine attack with Mohammad Amir bowling far better than his figures …
continue reading in source www.espncricinfo.com
