‘It’s crucial we get a win at the Oval’
Brave England fall short but skipper says: I won’t quit
you lose a series it hurts. I have to take that on the chin.You have to look at areas you want to get better at both in yourself and as a team.
“But we have an important Test match againstAustralia.We have to make sure we finish this summer strong.We have theTest championship to play for and [we have to make sure] we do not lose this Ashes series.”
England battled hard to try and secure an unlikely draw, starting the day two wickets down and keeping Australia at bay until 6.15pm and inside the last hour.
But Root has now failed to win five of his last seven series as captain, including Ashes series home and away.The under-fire skipper insisted he had seen enough character from his side to believe they could end the summer on a high in the final Test at the Oval, starting on Thursday.
“I thought everyone showed a lot of courage, resilience and character and everyone should be really proud about how they approached the day. I think we will look on other aspects of the game and maybe we could have been better.
“But we have got to look forward to the next Test match and get something out of this series. I know the Ashes are not coming back but in terms of the Test championship at the end of the two-year cycle, those points could be crucial.
“You never want to lose an Ashes series. Every game against Australia matters.
“Turning up at the Oval and putting in a strong performance to win the game is crucial for this group. It matters to me, it matters to everyone involved. It is a big game.”
Australia captain Tim Paine is under no illusions as to how big either.And he believes victory would be the perfect full-stop after a difficult time since the ball-tampering scandal rocked the Aussies’ foundations.
“We came here to win the Ashes, not just to retain them,” he said.
“This team has been through a lot in the last 12-18 months.The character we’ve shown shows a lot about the quality of the people.”
JOE ROOT believes he remains the right man to lead England despite failing in his bid to win his second Ashes series as captain.
Australia ensured that England cannot regain the urn after a 185-run victory gave them a 2-1 lead with one match to play. Asked whether he wanted to carry on, Root was defiant. “Definitely, yes,” he said. “Whenever