The Lord’s Test has everyone salivating after West Indies’ brilliant five-wicket triumph, which leaves the series level at 1-1. “They made it hard to get on top of them, create much pressure against them”, ESPNcricinfo quoted Root, as saying. The final match will now be played at the iconic Lord’s from September 7.
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Illustrating the scale of the achievement, only Don Bradman’s Australia team in 1948 – a team known as “The Invincibles” – have made more runs in the fourth innings to win a test in Leeds.
Clive Lloyd’s mighty West Indies had chased down 342 by nine wickets at Lord’s in 1984, with Gordon Greenidge hammering an unbeaten 214, but there were doubts whether this young team could keep their nerve at the crunch.
Bob Willis, the legendary England quick bowler, said during the second Test against the Windies that he was “very worried” with Westley at number three. We have the fight, belief and players to do it.
However, Root said that he would continue to take positive options in pursuit of victory in future.
“I think everybody is looking forward to this Test match here at Lord’s.To be coming to Lord’s with a chance to win this series I think is significant for us”.
England’s failures were not limited to the final day.
After rain delayed Tuesday’s scheduled start by 15 minutes, West Indies resumed on five without loss. I would also like to point out that people dwelled on the negative things I said in that column. If we’re being honest, we weren’t good enough first up with the bat and we need to make sure we learn those lessons and turn up at Lord’s to make sure we’re at it to win the series. If the coach saw my comments, some of the players must have, too. So when he came out here and scored the first one I told him to remember it and he came out and scored his second one so a lot of credit must go to him.
After losing Root for 72 in the morning session, a patient 61 off 186 balls from Dawid Malan and a more aggressive 58 from Ben Stokes gave England a decent platform. “I am pleased with our character but, if we’re being brutally honest, we lost this game with the bat in the first innings by not getting 300”. Previously, when we’ve been behind the eight-ball, we’ve struggled to do that.
“We’ve done outstanding things, it’s just about putting it together more often than not as a collective unit”.
Root and Bayliss preferred to focus on England’s performance in the first two days at Headingley as a key factor in their defeat.
Twenty20 cricket has proved the great leveller internationally, with the shortest format ensuring that despite a gulf in class and resources, teams like Ireland, Afghanistan and the Netherlands do have a chance against the world elite.
Last week Geoff Boycott called them “the worst team I’ve seen in 50 years”.
“He has always been known for eye-catching shots but, here, in the course of two innings, he became a Test match batsman in the round, attaching those shots to a cast-iron defence and a commitment to lasting the course”.
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That really was the moment when the West Indies needed him to put in a good spell and they just missed their opportunity.
