“Sums up the pitch if I am getting 5 wickets” - Joe Root after England’s loss
Taking an indirect dig at the pitch prepared for the pink-ball Test in Ahmedabad, England captain Joe Root stated that a part-timer like him getting five wickets in an innings summed up the surface.
Joe Root claimed sensational figures of 5 for 8 in India’s first innings to bowl the hosts out for a paltry145. England, however, capitulated for 81 in their second innings to pave the way for India’s 10-wicket triumph.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Joe Root observed that there was a lot of spin on the surface, which aided even a non-regular bowler like him. He said in this regard:
“It sort of sums up the wicket slightly if I am getting five wickets out there. Obviously, it was giving fair amount of spin. Yes, it was nice to contribute. But it was disappointing that it came in a losing cause.”
Joe Root’s performance was a throwback to Michael Clarke's 6 for 9 in the 2004 Mumbai Test, which was played on another rank turner.
India went on to win that low-scoring Test by 13 runs as Australia collapsed to 93 all out chasing 107.
Due to the plastic coating, the ball gathered pace off the wicket: Joe Root
Even as the pitch offered a significant amount of turn, many wickets fell to deliveries that either went straight on or came in. Enquired about the same, Joe Root pointed out that the plastic coating on the ball had something to do with it. He elaborated:
“An element is probably the ball. To be brutally honest, due to the plastic coating, the ball gathers pace off the wicket. Generally, it was about being beaten for pace rather than just the line of things.”
Joe Root admitted that India’s bowling was high-class but also added that both teams struggled on the pitch, saying:
“It was high-quality bowling. You put the ball in the right areas consistently, some are going to spin, and some are going to go straight. Makes it very difficult for batters. Throughout the game, both sides struggled. It wasn’t just us.”
Left-arm spinner Axar Patel picked up five wickets in England’s second innings to finish with a fabulous 11-wicket match haul.
Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 4 for 48 as England’s second innings lasted only 30.4 overs; in the process, the 34-year-old became the fastest bowler after Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan to enter the 400-wicket Test club.
India knocked off the 49 runs needed for victory in just 7.4 overs to go 2-1 up in the four-match series.
The hosts need to win the series to qualify for the World Test Championship final. Joe Root and co, meanwhile, are out of the reckoning.