Joe Root, England’s first-innings centurion, has implored his teammates to “express themselves in the right way” as they aim to salvage the second Test of the Ashes series against Australia. The hosts have established a significant advantage, holding a 44-run lead after dismissing England for 334 and then reaching 378/6. Key contributions came from Jake Weatherald, Marcus Labuschagne, and stand-in captain Steve Smith, all of whom scored half-centuries.
Reflecting on England’s performance, Root acknowledged shortcomings but highlighted the team’s ability to recover, particularly with the pink ball under lights. “It’s clear we weren’t our best at that phase of the game,” Root stated, “But the way that we dragged things back, by managing to take those wickets in a cluster, it shows what the nature of this game can be like, especially with the pink ball.”
Root himself exemplified effective batting, remaining undefeated on 138. This century marked his first in Australia and his 40th Test hundred overall. His partnership with Jofra Archer, a rapid 70 runs in 9.4 overs, provided a late surge for England. Apart from Root’s resilient knock and Zak Crawley’s 76, England’s batting order struggled, with four players failing to score.
Fielding lapses have also plagued England, with several dropped catches, including crucial opportunities from Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett. Travis Head and Alex Carey were among those given second chances. Root, however, stressed the team’s commitment to improving their fielding under lights, acknowledging the unique challenges of pink-ball cricket.
“We get a lot of exposure to [floodlit cricket] in ODI cricket and T20 cricket, but it is slightly different,” Root explained. “But you still back yourself. We practice really hard for the five days leading up to it. We made sure we got our work done. Unfortunately, it’s just one of those days where a few didn’t quite stick to hand. We’ve got to make sure we stay confident, we stay up and, when we get those chances later on in the fixture, we’re ready to take them.”
Looking ahead to Day 3, Root is optimistic about England’s chances. “We’ve obviously got some more work to do tomorrow, but we’re certainly well and truly in this game. More than anything, we’ve got to come out with a huge amount of energy and positivity. We know our best cricket can turn a game very quickly, so we’ll turn up tomorrow with the right attitude. We know that, if we’re anywhere near our best, then very quickly this game can turn in our favour.”
Root urged England’s bowlers to secure the remaining Australian wickets swiftly, enabling the batsmen to pursue a substantial score. “If we get things right in the morning, and go about things as a team in the correct fashion, then we can put ourselves in a really strong position on a wicket which looks like it’s plating,” Root commented. “It looks like there might be a few cracks to work with later on in the game. But clearly, we’ve got to look at tomorrow morning first and foremost, and get things right there.”
He added that the batting lineup possesses the talent to adapt and perform. “When we get out there with the bat, the quality that we have and the talent that’s in that dressing room can go out there and express themselves in the right way on that surface to go and get a big score, which could be very tricky batting last on that surface.” Root concluded by emphasizing his personal approach: “I’ve got quite a clear plan for how I score my runs. I’ve just got to back myself and understand that, if I do that for long periods of time and make good decisions, I’ll be successful.”
