After impressing with his batting skills in the last Test match, it is 22-year-old Joe Root’s temperament and ability to adapt in the middle that has stood out in his maiden one-day series. The batsman has struck two half-centuries in four games so far and has shown that he can assess and adjust to a tough game situation.
While addressing the media ahead of the last game of the five-match ODI series, the middle-order bat said, “Coming into the international arena, you have got to adapt; and going forward as an international cricketer, that’s what I am aiming to do. Try and do whatever is required for the team – if it means rebuilding in the middle or trying to get on with it towards the end; try to find a way to do it successfully. Just try to do what is required.”
Reflecting on his own performances and being part of all the three – Test, ODI and T20 – squads, he said, “It’s just nice to be a part of it. It’s all happened really quickly for me. I am just trying to find my feet and take it in my stride and enjoy every minute of it. It’s what you dream about as a kid, and I am enjoying every minute of it.”
While speaking about tomorrow’s game, he said, “As individuals, we have got a lot to play for. We have a big series coming up in New Zealand. A lot of people will try to make a strong case for that.”
“Any international game [you play], you want to win. A lot is riding on it, [when you are] playing for the country. Everyone in the change room will have that mentality going into the match tomorrow,” he added.
“We are just trying to concentrate on getting a result out of this game.”
Talking about England’s series loss, the batsman said, “Obviously, we are very disappointed with the way the series has gone as a team. It’s been nice to score some runs and put in a few performances, but it always feels a little bit better when you come out winning.”
Asked about his goals, the England youngster said, “I just want to take it one day at a time and keep trying to improve. [I want] to keep trying to be a better player and keep trying to contribute to winning games for England.”
Root attributed his success so far to the environment in which he has been playing and the help that has been offered by everyone around him. “Everyone has helped me settle in, which is fantastic. You just have to relax and try and enjoy the occasion. When you play in front of crowds, it is not hard to get absorbed and really enjoyed it. As a kid, you want to play on the big occasion, you want to play for England and I don’t see the point in getting nervous about it. You want to go out and enjoy it. It is another opportunity, another challenge, and I am really looking forward to going to New Zealand.”
When asked if he gets nervous, he said, “I think everyone gets nervous. It’s about trying to take it as a positive. You don’t know how many international games you are going to play. So I just want to enjoy every minute of it, absorb it and make the most of it.”
Discussing his off-spin bowling, Root said, “I am just really looking forward to tomorrow and then take that into consideration. I think it has definitely improved. We have worked hard on it. You are actually only going to improve with experiences and actually bowling in games. It has really been good and hopefully I can try and improve with every game.”
And finally, describing the HPCA ground as breathtaking, Root said, “It is a lovely place, lovely scenery. It’s a great way to finish this tour.”
