Win won’t paper over cracks says Root
JOE Root has warned England’s innings win over Pakistan in the second Test must not be allowed to ‘paper over the cracks’.
The Three Lions secured victory by an innings and 55 runs well inside three days at Headingley as they bounced back from a hammering at Lord’s in the first Test to draw the series.
An unbeaten 80 by Lancashire’s Jos Buttler, his second successive Test half-century, helped England to 363 all out.
Then after his Red Rose teammate James Anderson took two early wickets, Dom Bess and Stuart Broad added three more each - the latter answering his critics with match figures of 6-66 - as the tourists were bowled out for 134.
It ended an alarming sequence of six defeats in eight Tests, which had put coach Trevor Bayliss under pressure.
But Root is wary of getting carried away with one success.
“It’s very important we don’t paper over the cracks and think this is going to be us (sorted) forever,” he said. “We have to make sure we don’t find ourselves in those positions like last week.
“I’m thrilled to bits. But we know we’re not the finished article - this is the first step towards our goal.
“I asked the guys to play with pride ... and you saw that on the field.
“I think an element of that comes out through criticism.
“You want to prove people wrong, and you have to have that within you to play at this level.
“We had to show a lot of character.”