Opinion

Root Urges England to Set Ashes Tone Against Ireland

Written by Abhishek Patil

Test captain Joe Root has urged England to “lay down a marker” for the Ashes when they face Ireland in a one-off Test at Lord’s hot on the heels of their World Cup triumph at the ‘home of cricket’.

The four-day fixture starting Wednesday is followed by a five-match Ashes campaign — a gruelling schedule of six Tests in eight weeks.

“We’ve taken a huge amount of confidence from the World Cup and that counts for a lot,” Root told reporters at Lord’s on Tuesday.

“It’s something we must capitalise on going into a huge six Tests. The message to the squad is to play with a huge amount of pride and passion.”

England are looking to regain the Ashes following a 4-0 drubbing in Australia in 2017/18, having not lost a home series to their arch-rivals in 18 years.

But first come Ireland and Root said: “We don’t want to sleepwalk into this. Any Lord’s Test match at the start is a good chance to set a precedent for the way we want to play for the rest of the summer.

“I don’t want anyone walking into it and not being 100 percent on it. It’s a great chance to lay a marker down.”

 

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Abhishek Patil