We’re still in this, says skipper

JOE ROOT has risked ridicule by insisting England are still ‘massively’ in the Ashes series despite going 2-0 down with three Tests to play. With Perth the venue for the third Test, starting on December 14, the tourists’ prospects do not look encouraging. England have won only once there — in 1978 — and most observers here are preparing for the possibility of a third 5-0 whitewash in four visits to Australia. But Root saw it differently after his team had been bowled out for 233 in their second innings in Adelaide to lose the second Test by 120 runs. ‘The way we went about the second innings proved to everyone we are still massively in this series,’ he said. ‘It is as simple as that. We have shown throughout the two games that for periods we can outperform Australia, but just not for five days, and that is going to be our challenge. The belief in the dressing-room is definitely there. I don’t think we are in the situation that we were last time we were here. There is still a lot of confidence going into that next game.’ Root fell to Josh Hazlewood without adding to his overnight 67, leaving England’s captain to say: ‘In big series, your senior players have to step up and lead from the front. I tried to do that on the fourth night. Unfortunately, I could not carry that on and that hurts me personally a lot.’ Australia captain Steve Smith’s controversial decision not to make England bat again on the third evening was vindicated. He said: ‘My rationale was we were a long way in front and if we bat reasonably well we should be getting over 400. We batted pretty poorly, but in the end we won the game, so it’s all irrelevant. I had to have a sleeping pill that night and it was a pretty tough 24 hours. ‘It’s all part of being captain of your country. Sometimes you’re going to make the wrong decision.’