England have set a benchmark for themselves with their monumental victory against India in the first Test, gushed captain Joe Root while admitting that competing on spin-friendly tracks in Sri Lanka prepared them nicely for this tour.
England inflicted on India a humiliating 227-run defeat to go 1-0 up in the four Test series but the visiting skipper has no doubt that the home team has the kind of players who can exact revenge.
“I’m very proud of the way we’ve played this week. We have set a benchmark now, we’ve got something to work for to compare ourselves. Still, there are areas we can improve on. We can still get better,” Root said at the post-match press conference.
“We know that India are an extremely good team, especially in these conditions. And they’re a very proud nation as well. They’ve got some exceptional players so they’ll come back hard.”
First Test: The little things that led to India’s big defeat against England in Chennai
The skipper, who made a brilliant 218 which was the cornerstone of England’s massive first innings total, mentioned the role played by the Sri Lanka series ahead of India assignment.
England had won that series 2-0 with Root leading from the front with his big hundreds.
“It certainly served us well, coming out here, having faced the volume of spin that we have, having the confidence of winning. And playing on a similar kind of wicket, wasn’t the same by any stretch, but the tempo of the cricket that you play in the sub-continent I think served us really well coming into this game.”
“The pleasing thing for me was to set a big first-innings run, and we delivered it. We said we needed to be smart about how we’re going to take 20 wickets, and we delivered it.”
Root said the challenge before them now is to repeat the magnificent performance.
“Can we replicate that, can we go one better, can we keep looking to improve as a team and can we take it on individually that makes a difference.”
About not declaring and not accelerating the scoring during the second innings on day four which drew criticism from some quarters, Root said the idea was to not give the home team any chance of winning the game
“I wanted to make sure that more than anything there were only two possible results. It would have been damaging had we lost this game.
“I knew that the way that it deteriorated the last three days in particular that coming into today it was gonna happen even quicker again. All we needed to do, be relentless with the areas we were bowling.
“Put the ball in good areas for a long period of time and the wicket will do the rest. It was just about holding on,” Root added.
The England captain also patted left-arm spinner Jack Leach for staging a strong comeback in the second Indian innings after being hammered by Rishabh Pant in the first.
Leach scalped four batsmen in India’s chase.
“Brilliant. (Dom) Bessy as well, in the first innings he took four wickets. As a whole group, we needed to work together. Leachy obviously came into the wickets today. Jack was asked to do a job, against Pant, take a bit of a risk, see if he can take you on, try and create a chance.
“Unfortunately it wasn’t quite fulfilling but for him to have the character and I suppose the skill level to come back from that shows where he’s at with this cricket. And it’s really pleasing to see him get rewards today, because throughout the whole Test, he was asked to perform in a certain way and he delivered every time. So I couldn’t be more proud,” he said.
Wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler won’t be part of the series after Tuesday’s win and changes are likely in their line-up. The England skipper said they have got good options.
“It’s really important that we look after our players so that everyone comes into the game fit, fresh and ready and able to deliver their skill 100%.
“The work ethic from the whole squad, even the guys that aren’t in the squad, is to go better all the time, adapt to the conditions and it serves well on the field. You can see the results.”
‘Reminded me of Flintoff’
Root praised the fitter and more-skillful-than-ever James Anderson for his match-winning spell.
Root said the dismissal of Indian batsmen Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane by Anderson in the space of three balls in the game, which England won by 227 runs on Tuesday, reminded him of Andrew Flintoff in the 2005 Ashes. Flintoff had dismissed Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer in one over in the second Test to revive England’’s hopes and campaign.
“It reminded me a little bit of (Andrew) Flintoff in 2005 (Edgbaston Test) and the impact of that over to (Ricky) Ponting and (Justin) Langer slightly. In the context of this game it was huge,” Root said in the post-match press conference.
“When you see someone like Jimmy Anderson, naturally you expect that from him,” he added.
Flintoff had scalped Langer and the then Australian captain Ponting in the same over as England won the Edgbaston Test to draw level at 1-1 before going on to seal a memorable Ashes victory.
Root was lavish in praise for the 38-year-old Anderson.
“He seems to get better all the time. The skill level keeps improving...his work rate is good as anyone I have ever seen. And his fitness level are the best he’’s ever been in his whole career,” he said.
“It is a credit to English cricket. That’’s a great example to all England players. When you are under pressure and need something to happen when you got him in your armoury it is a very comfortable position to be in,” Root added.
Root lauded his side for grabbing all the big moments in the match.
“The likes of Ben Stokes coming on and taking the wicket of Virat Kohli...They are big game players and they stand up and they do special things. It’’s a great example for the young guys around to go and see that I want to be the one doing that,” he said.
“They are those big moments that you have to grasp. And if you want to win the series in these conditions against a side as good as India, these are the things that you have to get right,” he added.
About the lack of crowd in the first Test, he said the England team missed its travelling fans. Spectators would be allowed in the stands at 50 per cent of the stadium capacity during the second Test here starting February 13.
“Well, we certainly miss our fans,