Leeds, June 18: The void left by the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma notwithstanding, England’s top batter Joe Root feels the touring Indian side have got “all their bases covered” for the upcoming Test series, an opinion that contrasts with the views of some of his compatriots.
In the absence of Rohit and Kohli, who have announced their retirements from Test cricket last month, Shubman Gill will lead the team, which is a mix of youth and experience.
“You can only be excited. These are the series you play for. The opportunities in front of us are epic,” Root, 34, told Sky Sports commentator and former team-mate Stuart Broad on Wednesday.
“You know The Ashes is coming and you will be asked about it. People will be trying to relate stuff in the India series to that but you have a job to do against a brilliant team.
“You look at India’s progression as a team across all formats and they have all bases covered – great seam attack, talented batters and a very strong spin attack.
“They are going to compete anywhere in the world but our record at home makes for a fantastic series. We will go into it with confidence but also with a huge amount of respect for what they will bring,” Root added.
With just over 13000 runs in the traditional format, Root has already cemented his place among the greats of the game, and he will look to add to his tally in the upcoming matches against India and Australia.
Of his current tally of 13,006 runs, the Yorkshireman has scored 3,117 of them in the three years since he was replaced as captain by Ben Stokes.
Root has averaged 56.67 during what he describes as the most enjoyable period of his career.
Captain Gill relishes
England challenge
Shubman Gill is embracing the challenge of England’s ever-changing weather as he prepares to lead India for the first time in a Test series, while senior batter KL Rahul is equally enthusiastic about playing in English conditions.
The five-Test series starting at Headingley on Friday marks a generational shift in Indian cricket, with Gill taking over as the new red-ball captain.
In a video shared by the BCCI on ‘X’, several Indian players, including skipper Gill, shared what comes to mind when they think of playing in England. “Dukes ball, that’s number one. The weather which is always changing, that’s exciting and tough. And just the atmosphere of the crowd,” Gill said.
Rahul added: “Playing Test cricket here excites me. The English summer here is different from what we get back home, it’s something that I enjoy playing cricket in. When the sun is out it’s great to play cricket. The third thing is the options for restaurants and food.” Spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar kept it simple: “Swing and seam, India winning a lot of games over here.” (PTI)
