Assistant coach Graham Thorpe has challenged England’s batsmen to step up and lighten the load on captain Joe Root’s shoulders ahead of the...
Assistant coach Graham Thorpe has challenged England’s batsmen to step up and lighten the load on captain Joe Root’s shoulders ahead of the third Test against India.
Root is averaging 90 in four Tests this year, with first-innings scores of 228 and 186 laying the groundwork for a 2-0 win in Sri Lanka while another double ton helped England win the series opener against India.
Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes both scored 80s in the first Test in Chennai but the lack of runs from Root in the second Test at the same venue coincided with a crushing 317-run defeat as India levelled the series.
Mind games: Root’s England lost the second Test at Chennai even before a ball was bowled
No touring batsman accumulated more than Moeen Ali’s 49 runs across two innings, magnifying Root’s importance to England ahead of the pink-ball Test, which starts on Wednesday at the newly built Sardar Patel stadium in Ahmedabad.
“Joe has been in really good form this winter but it is important (that others contribute),” said Thorpe. “We constantly talk around trying to build the partnerships and hopefully that leads to getting first-innings runs, which will be crucial.
“We fell well short in the last Test match so clearing the minds and looking forward...
