Ashes 2021-22 | Everyone in the dressing room is gutted, says Joe Root after innings defeat against Australia in Boxing Day Test

Australia handed a resounding defeat to England by an innings and 14 runs in the Boxing Day Test, and have retained the Ashes as the hosts went up 3-0 in the five-match series. The Pat Cummins-led side bowled out England for a paltry total of 185 in the first innings and in reply, the hosts scored 267 runs. Debutant Scott Boland wreaked havoc in the second innings for Australia as he dismissed six England batsmen by conceding just seven runs during his four-over spell. The visitors were bundled out for a meagre total of 68 runs in the second innings.

"Everyone in that dressing room is gutted. We're bitterly disappointed to find ourselves in this position. You turn up today and you walk out with Ben Stokes and you feel like anything's possible. It's bitterly disappointing to be 3-0 down but there are still two Test matches to go. We have to try and make sure we come away from this tour with a couple of wins," Root said to reporters. 

"I'd say that the best 18 players from the county game are definitely on this tour. There are some very talented players within this squad and we have to find ways of upskilling ourselves and each other, and managing pressure points within the game better," Root said after the match. 

"Unfortunately, where the game is at in our country right now, the only place you can really learn that is in the hardest environment. For what is quite a young batting group, they're having to learn out here. The environment that they're coming from, it's not readying them well enough for Test cricket. It's a very difficult place, with everything that surrounds Test matches and the different conditions and environments. If you're not ready going into it, it makes it very difficult to improve in that environment," he added.

"You look back at 2015 and the reset that happened in white-ball cricket, maybe that's something that needs to be had in our red-ball game as well. But that is a long conversation that I should probably have with you guys another time," he explained. 

Root further added that his team should stay mentally resilient.

“My energy has to be all about trying to win the next game. I can't be selfish and start thinking about myself. That's a big part of captaincy. You've got to ready the players and try to instil that belief in every single one of your team and your squad. More than ever now, going into the last two games.

"We have to front up, make sure we stay focused, looking to improve all areas of our game individually and collectively, and we have to have a really strong inner belief to be able to come back," he added.