England skipper Joe Root wants his players to stay positive but also not to get carried away with the fast forward mode of batsmanship during the two-match Test series against New Zealand starting November 21 in Mount Maunganui. 

The three lions have long struggled with the bat in the longest format of the game, losing their last four of the five Test series away from home. 

"We have to be prepared to play some attritional cricket at times," Root was quoted as saying by ICC as England's second warm-up game of the tour came to the end on Sunday (November 17). "We have to try to bat longer. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get a good score on any given wicket."

Read Also: Joe Root drops back to his preferred No. 4 batting spot for New Zealand Test series

"Time has never really been an issue in Test cricket, especially in the modern game, where things naturally move quicker than they have in the past. It would be nice to get used to batting for 120 overs more regularly, especially in the first innings."

The issue isn't just limited to batting, England's bowlers too have found it difficult stitching dot after dot across long spells, as Root further pointed out. 

"It doesn't just apply to our batting. It's with the ball as well," he said. "We have to be prepared to go at two an over and build pressure in different ways."

"You can fall into the trap when playing in English conditions, as they've been in the last couple of years, and get used to Test cricket being played in fast forward," Root added. 

"But it's not like that everywhere you go. So we've got to be prepared to adapt. And if that means doing things slightly differently – whether it's controlling the rate with the ball, or being prepared to score at two an over for 150 overs, if that's what it takes to make 400 – then we've got to be prepared to do that."

(Inputs from ICC)