Ashes 2017-18: Joe Root seeks to learn from past mistakes in Sydney

The final Test in Sydney starts from January 4.

Root badly needs a win in Sydney. (Getty)

Going into the final Test match in Sydney, England skipper Joe Root seeks to learn from past mistakes. Root, captaining England for the first time on an overseas tour, failed to lead the way with the bat, scoring 237 runs in the first four tests, including a drawn match last week at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

England have already been hampered by a lot of controversies throughout the series and the series defeat has just added to the disastrous time that England is having in Australia at the moment.

“I’d make sure no one is head-butting anyone, and people were more sensible off the field on the back of what happened in the summer,” Root said Wednesday looking to maintain the character of the team.

“The way we’ve practiced and prepared, we’ve been excellent. It’s just a shame there’s been a few extra instances that could have been avoided. There’s definitely stuff we’ll have to take from this trip and make sure … we don’t make those mistakes again.” Root, only 11 tests into his captaincy, said he hoped to return as captain in four years when the Ashes is contested again in Australia. 

Root also said that he is highly disappointed with the way he has performed with the bat this series. He is way back in terms of runs scored as compared to his counterpart Steve Smith who has already amassed 600 plus runs in the series. 

“I’m disappointed … you see (Smith’s scores), and you want to be the one doing it,” Root said. “He’s probably been the difference between the teams. Take his runs out of it, and we’ve been there or thereabouts to win. It’s a little lesson to me on leading from the front" said Root.

As far as team changes for the final Test is concerned while Mason Crane is likely to make his Test debut for England, Mitchell Starc is lined up for a comeback in Sydney.

 
 

By Anshuman Roy - 03 Jan, 2018

    Share Via