Our goal is to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship final: Joe Root
Joe Root has not given up on England's goal of making it to the ICC World Test Championship Final.
The England cricket team need to win both the remaining Tests against Team India to qualify for the summit clash at Lord's. The India vs England series is currently level 1-1 after the Chennai games. England won the first Test, riding on Joe Root's double hundred. However, the Indian cricket team bounced back in style by recording their biggest win (in terms of runs) in the second match.
India need to win at least one match and avoid losing in Ahmedabad to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship. Meanwhile, England need a 3-1 win.
Talking to the reporters in a virtual press conference ahead of the day-night Test against Team India, Joe Root spoke about his team's chances in the ICC World Test Championship.
"Obviously, our goal is to try and get (to the ICC World Test Championship Final). We go to every Test match trying to do everything we can to win. And, you know, we're gonna look after this week first. We've got to make sure that we play some really good cricket in what will be very different conditions I'm sure to the last game. And the challenges that this Test match presents might be very stark from what we saw at Chennai," said the England skipper.
The newly rebuilt Motera Stadium will host the last two India vs England Tests. Unlike the spin-friendly conditions in Chennai, a fresh wicket will be on offer for the Ahmedabad Tests. Joe Root believes the visitors will face a different challenge.
Joe Root feels the first session of the pink-ball Test will be crucial
Both India and England have won one pink-ball Test match each. While England defeated West Indies at home three years ago, India crushed Bangladesh in Kolkata during the 2019 home season.
England have never won an overseas day-night Test match. Speaking about the different approach the teams need to adopt in the pink-ball games, Joe Root added:
"We just got to be extremely cliche, but we just got to look forward to that first session. We've seen how important it has been. We've been on the wrong side of that in a previous pink-ball game. We've also got it right and got ahead of things and seen how much of an advantage that can be too. So let's do everything we can to win this game and then we can hopefully be in a position to talk about that (ICC World Test Championship Final) as a real possibility."