England v West Indies
BIG NAMES GIVE THEIR VERDICTS
JOE ROOT has warned England they must hit the ground running against a West Indies side who are pink-ball ‘veterans’.
Root is determined not to take the Windies lightly after losing their last match in the Caribbean two years ago.
The England captain has settled comfortably into his leadership role, but today’s first-ever day/night Test match in this country is a new experience for him, unlike Jason Holder who skippered a game in Dubai 10 months ago.
It is why Root quizzed South Africa captain Faf du Plessis on tactics after watching him declare early in their game under the lights against the Aussies in Adelaide.
“I am expecting it to be tough, as Test cricket always is,” said Root. “Obviously there are
different challenges and it might throw up a different rhythm to the game in terms of how it all pans out.
“I managed to chat with Faf after the game at Old Trafford and he gave me a few views on certain things like why he declared when he did, trying to get early wickets.
“It is important for us to get off to a strong start in this series. This is not an experimental thing for us, we just need to respond to what is in front of us quickly.
“I’ve never played an easy game of Test cricket and I expect this to be a real big challenge for us. Credit has to go to West Indies in Barbados. They outplayed us and that’s a clear indication of what they’re capable of.”
Holder reckons his side will feel pretty comfortable in the pink thanks to their experiences. “The guys really look forward to the pink-ball cricket,” said Holder. “I think it’s something we have really accepted.
“We’ve been playing it in the Caribbean for a number of years as well. For me personally, I don’t think it makes a huge difference.”
If this 50th Test match at Edgbaston were a normal day game it would be hard to find a reason to back the Windies against an England team on a roll in their home conditions.
Even so, with none of the visitors having played more than 37 Tests and many having never toured England before, it would still be a surprise to see anything other than a 3-0 home win.
Mark Stoneman will make his England debut, with Mason Crane and Chris Woakes narrowly missing out and Root added: “We’re confident, but we don’t expect anything. You’ve got to earn the right in Test cricket and that doesn’t change whoever you play against.”