ENG vs IND | Could have been better tactically, admits Joe Root
Root admits his tactical mistakes after the Lord's game
|Joe Root admitted that he could have been better tactically on the final day of the second India-England Test at Lord’s, where the hosts went down by 151 runs. India bundled out England for 120 within 52 overs on the final day, registering their third Test win at the venue to take a l-0 lead.
England arguably had their noses ahead at the start of Day 5, with India just 154 ahead with four wickets remaining. They managed to tighten the screws further, removing Rishabh Pant, India’s last recognised batsman and Ishant Sharma within the first hour. However, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah staged a staggering fightback with an unbeaten 89-run stand to rule out the possibility of an England win almost entirely.
The bowling unit then stepped up, dismissing England for mere 120 within 52 overs to power the visitors to an emphatic 151-run win.
One of the highlights of the day was the continual aggression on the field, not just in terms of verbal banters, but also with the bowlers from either side testing the batters with short-pitched stuff. England clearly overdid the latter against Bumrah and Shami, only to allow the visitors to get ahead in the game.
Joe Root admitted that he could’ve been better on the tactical side of things, as he reflected on a disappointing result.
"You're always trying to find ways to deal with things like that, we couldn't; see out the day which was frustrating. But a lot of cricket to play and we'll come back hard,” the England skipper after the game.
“A lot on my shoulders, as captain you take responsibility, tactically we could have done things differently - we went to a position where we could win by being behind. More than anything we got a few things wrong, credit to them, they played well for that partnership. But I'd do things differently. They threw everything into the Test.”
Root praised Mark Wood and Moeen Ali, who made their presence felt after having missed out the first Test at Trent Bridge. The Yorkshireman is hopeful that his players can bounce back with three games remaining in the series.
“Mark's hurt himself, but his attitude was great. Seeing Mo playing the way he has was encouraging.,” he said. “We've found ourselves in this position before and come out on top. Be patient, learn the lessons and be better next time.”
