"I feel ready" - Joe Root insists warming the bench in IPL hasn't affected his preparation for Ashes
Ace England batter Joe Root has insisted on his readiness for the Ashes despite warming the bench for close to two months in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The right-hander feels County cricket wouldn't have been much of a help if England are going to play on true pitches during the Ashes.
Root, who fetched INR 1 crore from the Rajasthan Royals, batted only in one game in the tournament. However, the Yorkshire batter fielded in multiple fixtures and started the summer with a flamboyant 56 against Ireland at Lord's.
While Root admitted that County cricket is the bedrock of England's Test side, the 32-year-old reckons it won't benefit him ahead of the summer, given the absence of nibbly conditions. As quoted by the Daily Mail, he said:
"Championship cricket is the bedrock of our domestic game and I am not trying to bag it with what I say here. I am not saying it’s not important or a good standard. But for where I am in my career, am I going to learn more about myself in that environment? Am I really going to be prepared better for an Ashes series facing lower-pace bowling on some nibbly wickets, when hopefully we will play on good pitches against high pace and a high-quality spinner? I don't think so."
The 130-Test veteran feels learning from greats like Kumar Sangakkara and Brian Lara has him in good stead for a grueling summer. He added:
"By going to India, learning and experiencing something new, talking and discussing the game with some of the greats, like Kumar Sangakkara and Brian Lara – I thought that would set me up best to perform well and get the best out of myself. I feel ready, I have another week’s prep, and we have some time together as a squad."
Root's form has been exemplary in the current WTC cycle, amassing 1915 runs in 22 matches at 53.19, making him the highest run-getter in the cycle.
"Mental side of the game is really important" - Joe Root
Joe Root suggested that preparation can sometimes take you only far and that it takes only one good ball to lose a wicket. The Yorkshire batter added:
"You can have the best prep in the world, where I’ve got hundreds in warm-up games, and then you go into the game and get a good ball early and you are on the back foot. It can work both ways. That is why the mental side of the game is really important. I can call upon experience. I have had good Ashes series and bad ones before."
Root was the captain in the 2019 Ashes series as England narrowly avoided a series loss by drawing it 2-2.