Root already looking to 2022 series
LONDON: England captain Joe Root is already training his sights on regaining the Ashes in 2022, buoyed by a serieslevelling victory at The Oval he believes can act as the blueprint.
England knew Australia would be lifting the urn after it took an unassailable lead 21 at Old Trafford last week but the response at the end of a long and historic summer of international cricket was a stylish one.
Four wickets apiece from Stuart Broad and Jack Leach, plus two for the captain’s parttime offspin, rolled the tourists over for 263 and sealed a 135run win and therefore a 22 draw.
That represents an improvement on Root’s last experience of the series, a humbling 40 loss in 2017.
He intends to do everything in his power to ensure England goes one better again when hostilities resume in two and ahalf years.
‘‘I thought the performance this week was a lot closer to the template of where we want to be in test cricket. Hopefully, that will be a massive stepping stone and starting point for us to kick on as a team,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ve got an opportunity now to really push and do everything we can to prepare extremely well for that next tour of Australia. That’s going to be a huge focus for me and I’d like to hope for English cricket.
‘‘That’s got to be our main focus — going down there and winning.
‘‘Every test match between now and then is an opportunity to push your case. I’m desperate to take this team forward and I will do everything I can to prepare us for that series.’’
‘‘I was desperate to win this series but 22 looks a hell of a lot better than 31, that’s for sure,’’ he said.
Ben Stokes, who has at times represented an allaction superhero for England, carried his side over the line when it looked like falling in the World Cup final and his innings in the third test left typically sober onlookers declaring the best of all time.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, he said he would trade his fairytale knock in for a chance to lift the urn this week.
‘‘It was disappointing to know we couldn’t get the Ashes back but we came here with a lot of pride and looking to draw the series.
‘‘I’ll look back on winning at Headingley in a few years’ time with fond memories probably, but I’d swap it for winning the Ashes.’’
England might have done just that had Steve Smith not produced a classic series of his own, churning out an incredible 774 runs in seven visits.
Broad got him for just 23 on the final day of the series, leaving Root to offer a wry reflection on the man of the series.
‘‘He’s been a pain, really,’’ the skipper said of Smith.
‘‘He’s done something very special and been the difference.
‘‘It was nice to see a plan come together finally, even though it was what we started with in the first test at Edgbaston.’’ —BPA