Joe Root backs England to win Oval Test: We have got what we need to cross line

India Today

England star Joe Root is backing the hosts to get over the finish line in the Oval Test and seal the series against India 3-1. Root scored his 39th Test century to put England on course for the win before a late twist got India back in the match.

Transcript

00:00Pleased to be off there at the end? It was pretty tricky out there.

00:03I think there's pros and cons to both, really.

00:06You know, the guys had bowled a lot.

00:09There's overs in their legs.

00:11You get back out there and, you know, you get a couple of boundaries away

00:14and all of a sudden the game looks very different again.

00:18But then again, you come back tomorrow, you get another roller.

00:21You can rest up and it's a completely new opportunity.

00:26So I think for both teams there's pros and cons.

00:28It's just how it's sort of fallen.

00:31But there's not really much you can do as a player, really.

00:33You just sit and wait and do what you're told.

00:35So from our point of view, come back tomorrow

00:38and we've got an amazing spectacle to look forward to.

00:41Is it fitting that this series is ending this way?

00:45It was always going to happen like this, wasn't it?

00:47I mean, look at the first four games.

00:50It's just been that kind of series.

00:52It's been amazing to play in and quite fitting almost

00:56that we're going to get that kind of finish tomorrow.

00:58On a personal level, you must have felt like you had almost done it

01:04and then you had that moment as well with the headband,

01:07which was a nice moment to tell you.

01:10Yeah, I mean, it was bitterly disappointing not to still be there tonight

01:14and to get us home today.

01:17But, you know, we're in a really good position.

01:21We've got a lot of batting left.

01:22Two guys out there that are very capable of seeing his home.

01:26So, and in terms of Thorpe, you know, I think this week it's been amazing

01:33that Surrey as a club at the ECB have recognised everything that he's done

01:37for English cricket as a player, as a coach, as a mentor, as a friend

01:43to the dressing room, to the game of cricket.

01:45And, you know, that was on behalf of our team, really, to be honest.

01:50Everything that he's given to and sacrificed for English cricket

01:56is just really great to see the amount of love that there is for him

02:00and, you know, for his family as well.

02:05So, I think that was what that was for.

02:08I don't know if I can nick a spoiler out of you,

02:10but has Chris Wolfe's got his batting stuff with him?

02:13You probably saw him in his whites in the dressing room.

02:16So, you know, he's all in like the rest of us.

02:20It's been that kind of series where you guys have had to put bodies on the line

02:24and, you know, hopefully it doesn't get to that.

02:27But, you know, he had some throwdowns in here, I think, at one point

02:31and he's ready if needed.

02:34Will, and then this.

02:35Just back to the 14th celebration.

02:38How long have you had your headband?

02:40Since T, so.

02:41Not long.

02:42Not long, no.

02:43And it's a celebration for you and the 13th.

02:45Have you ever been kind of as emotional as that?

02:50I don't know.

02:53I'm not really sure, but just like I said,

02:55it's someone that's impacted my career personally a huge amount.

03:01And I think just this week,

03:03the amount of love and support that's been for him and for his family

03:07and all the good that's come from it

03:11and the amount of money that's been raised as well,

03:13I think it's amazing.

03:14And it's special that sport can provide that.

03:18So, yeah, it was more than anything.

03:21It was just a thank you for everything that he's given the game of cricket,

03:26given English cricket on and off the field.

03:28Fish, please.

03:30And we'll go to the back of the room and then back.

03:32Hi, Joe.

03:33A lot of your teammates talk about how good it is batting with you

03:37and how easy and at ease you make them feel.

03:39What was it like, you know, on the flip side,

03:41batting with Brook the way he was?

03:43Well, it's always a pleasure.

03:44I think one of the most important things about batting

03:48is building a partnership

03:49and understanding the impact that you both have on each other

03:53and being able to dovetail well together.

03:55And we've both got very contrasting games.

03:58But I think that works really well in our favour.

04:01He obviously plays slightly more expansively than I do

04:04and has got an amazing array of shots.

04:07But the amount of pressure he puts back on opposition,

04:10the way that he takes calculated risks at the right moments

04:13and can open a game completely up like he did today.

04:17You look round and there's a deep cover.

04:19You're 250 behind.

04:22It was remarkable.

04:22Sorry, a deep long off.

04:25It's amazing being able to sort of play second fiddle to that

04:32and watch it just in the best seat in the house.

04:36He's an incredible talent.

04:38And it's not like he's a one-off fluke.

04:40He's got 10 hundreds playing in a very similar manner.

04:44He's incredibly consistent at it.

04:45And there's definitely a huge amount of method behind what he does.

04:51And the impact that it's had on this contest match is why we're sat here only needing 35 to win.

04:58It's been an incredible knock.

04:59He always talks about not celebrating hundreds or not going over the top because it's his job, in his words.

05:06That was probably the most emotional he's been.

05:08It was, yeah.

05:09He even mentioned that out there.

05:10And I don't even think he knew where it came from.

05:13But clearly it's been a hard-fought series.

05:17And he's desperate to win games of cricket for England.

05:21It means a huge amount to him.

05:22And I think that's one of the rare occasions you've seen how much it means to him to play for England

05:28and to impact a game for our dressing room.

05:33Back left corner.

05:34And then we'll go Mike, Mel, and John.

05:38Joe, could you talk about you punched the bat after getting out to Prasad?

05:43Clearly it's not Prasad, but what happened in the first innings.

05:46But could you talk about how the pressure was being built

05:49and how you didn't kind of succumb to it as such, but you kind of got, did you get distracted?

05:55Or how did it happen, like something like that, when you're well set, you've played 150-plus balls

05:59and suddenly you have this.

06:01And also about Prasad, the bowler.

06:03Yeah, I mean, just that scenario, we'd obviously come back out after a rain break

06:08and it started to do a little bit more.

06:10They both really good areas for that period of time and got it moving around.

06:16And I was more disappointed that I missed out on what I thought I should have gone for four.

06:22But Prasad's a proven performer.

06:25He's a brilliant player.

06:27You don't play for India as a seamer without having a huge amount of talent.

06:33And clearly he's going to do great things in the game.

06:37But it wasn't anything between the two of us that sort of brought that on.

06:43That was more frustration from my part for not getting us over the line.

06:46You know, that's what you pride yourself on as a player, as an experienced batter in that situation.

06:50You've got to be able to absorb pressure and understand that they're allowed to bowl well for periods of time.

06:55And then when you get your opportunities to counter that, then you take them.

06:58And I just mis-executed on that occasion.

07:01You know, when you're 100 not out, you don't expect that from yourself.

07:05So that's where the frustration came from.

07:08There was sort of no overhang from what happened in the first innings or anything like that.

07:14Mike and then John, Mel.

07:16Joe, 537 runs in the series, 300s, number one in the test world rankings,

07:23number two in the all-time test run scorers list.

07:27Congratulations for all of that.

07:28Would you swap it all for the Anderson 10-double trophy tomorrow?

07:33I'd like to think we're going to, you know, we've got what we need to get across the line tomorrow.

07:39It's been one hell of a series, one hell of a journey.

07:42And, you know, confidence in our dressing room.

07:44Clearly, we feel we've got the players to get us across the line.

07:51But, you know, it's just been one of those sort of five, six weeks where it's swung both ways the whole time.

07:58And I think we're in for a great day tomorrow.

08:02Just on Wokes, as far as you know, is he going to attempt to back right-handed rather than turn around?

08:06I'm not sure.

08:07I have not seen him practice yet.

08:08So, you might get a better indication tomorrow if he has some throwdowns in the morning.

08:13You have to get in early.

08:14Always early.

08:15And what about his sort of level of pain?

08:19Well, clearly, he's in a huge amount of pain having done what he's done.

08:23But it just shows, as we've seen from other guys within this series, you know,

08:27batting with a broken foot, guys taking all sorts of blows here and there.

08:34But it means a huge amount to him.

08:37And it just shows the character and the person that he is,

08:39that he's willing to put his body on the line like that for England.

08:42And to hopefully, well, hopefully he doesn't have to.

08:45But if it does come to that, get us across the line and win us an incredible series.

08:49Mel, and then we'll finish in the middle.

08:51Go ahead, Mel, one question, please.

08:52I just actually wanted to ask you how you've enjoyed in particular the contest with Mohamed Siraj.

08:59We saw you sort of laughing a lot together.

09:02Almost like pantomime, the way it was between you.

09:07Just in the iconic moments, whether it be at Lord's, the drop of Harry Brook,

09:11and then takes that catch.

09:13Just what's he been like for you?

09:15He's a character.

09:17He's always, he's a warrior.

09:20You know, he's a real warrior.

09:21He's someone that you want on your team.

09:23He's that kind of character.

09:25He gives everything for India.

09:28And it's, you know, credit to him for that, the way he approaches cricket.

09:31He's got this, like, fake angriness about him sometimes, which I can see straight through.

09:38You can tell he's actually a really nice lad.

09:40But, you know, he tries incredibly hard.

09:44He's a very skillful player.

09:45And, you know, he's, there's the reason why he's got the wickets he has is because, one, his work ethic and, two, his skill level.

09:55So, yeah, I enjoy playing against him.

09:58He's always got a big smile on his face, and he'll give everything for his team.

10:02So, I guess you couldn't want anything more of that as a fan watching.

10:06And a great example to any young players starting out.

10:10Joe, Joe here.

10:12How much of an advantage is getting the heavy roller in tomorrow give you all?

10:16And there's been a, there's a little bit of sympathy for the fans over here who didn't get to watch the Climates.

10:21But which camp are you in?

10:22Good for those who get in to watch tomorrow for free?

10:25Well, it adds suspense, doesn't it?

10:26So, it's another, probably, what, 12 hours now until we wake up and we can start getting excited about it again.

10:33And, clearly, everyone that came today was still, they can leave knowing they've been thoroughly entertained.

10:42And, you know, hopefully they've bought a ticket for tomorrow and they get the opportunity to watch it all unfold tomorrow.

10:48Oh, in terms of the roller, we'll see.

10:50I haven't got a crystal ball, unfortunately, but it has made an impact so far throughout this game.

10:57You know, whether that changes on day five, we'll see.

11:00But, you know, hopefully it works well in our favor and flattens things out.

11:05Thank you, guys. Thank you.

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