A KICK IN THE TEETH
Root’s men embarrassed
ENGLAND rolled over In a 340run thrashing that forced Joe Root to deny his side are failing to respect Test cricket.
The skipper appeared shellshocked to learn his mentor and former England captain Michael Vaughan had called into question his team’s respect for the game.
But once the emotion settles down perhaps his anger and frustration will stem from the fact his side played so poorly as to allow such questions to be asked of them.
If England hadn’t been bowled out for 205 and 133 inside a total of 96.1 overs it wouldn’t have been asked. If the top three hadn’t contributed 79 runs between them, the lowest amount for 20 years at home, it wouldn’t have been asked.
Vaughan said: “The England batting has been appalling. Maybe it’s a lack of respect about what the game is.
“I worry about the mentality of the Test batting because as soon as things get difficult – it swings around or spins – they play aggressively.”
When put to Root, he was more than taken aback. “I think that’s very unfair,” said Root. “I can’t believe he’s actually said that.
“We pride ourselves on winning series like this and unfortunately we’ve played poorly this week.
“The most important thing now is to respond well and make sure we put it right at The Oval.
“It’s been a tough week, South Africa responded very well from Lord’s, we didn’t assess the situation well enough in the first innings and then from that we couldn’t find a way to get back into the game.”
First innings runs are essential for any Test team worth their salt and England only appear capable of going big when the conditions and the situation is in their favour.
As soon as there is something in it for the bowlers, be it spin or swing or seam they get stuck, much like any flat-track bully. Root is facing the same challenge that ultimately did for Alastair Cook. How to get consistent performances out of a talented team who when they are good they are very, very good, but when they are bad they are rubbish.
Another former skipper Nasser Hussain said: “What I don’t like is when a team says, ‘This is how we play Test cricket.’
“There are times to be attacking. A score of 133 all out is a rubbish brand of cricket – they are not showing a steely side.”