Joe Root keen to exploit Team India's Adelaide horror
Joe Root has said that England would look to exploit any self-doubt Team India might have from their horror show in Adelaide. India were bowled out for 36 in their last day-night Test against Australia.
Despite losing the first Test in Adelaide in an embarrassing manner, India did manage to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by a 2-1 margin. It remains to be seen how the hosts fare in the third Test, which will be a pink-ball encounter in Ahmedabad. Joe Root explained England would need to make early breakthroughs to put the Indians in doubt.
"If we can exploit that [events in Adelaide] then that's something we will look to do. But you have to earn the right, make early inroads, build pressure for periods of time and put balls in good areas, challenging defences. That will be our focus; [36 all out] is more for them to worry about, for it to be in the back of their minds," Joe Root said.
England need to win the next two Tests if they want to make it to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final.
"It's a great position to be in" - Joe Root
The four-match series is currently tied at 1-1, and many experts feel the pink-ball Test is England's best chance to win another game on Indian soil. Joe Root hinted the same, saying the day-night encounter is an exciting prospect for his side.
"We are 1-1 with a pink-ball game two days away, It's a great position to be in from our perspective. It's a very exciting prospect for the group.Playing against India in the subcontinent, you expect the ball to spin, and I'm sure at some point it will," said the England captain.
Joe Root added that the conditions would be in England's favor if there is any help for the seamers.
"But if conditions are more seam-orientated, then the experience of growing up in English conditions should be in our favour. It's about handling those conditions as best we can and try to exploit them with ball in hand," Root added.
Team India have played just one pink-ball Test in home conditions, with the seamers dominating the proceedings in that encounter against Bangladesh. In the 2019 day-night Test in Kolkata, the Indian seamers picked up 19 wickets, with one Bangladesh batsman being retired hurt.