Foakes: England can still save series

BEN FOAKES insists England can still emerge from the wreckage in India with a series draw.

The tourists have been routed by India’s spinners on turning tracks since winning the opening Test.

On Thursday Joe Root’s side return to the scene of their twoday defeat in the day/ night third Test for the final match of the series.

Wicketkeeper Foakes (pictured) admits Chennai and Ahmedabad threw up conditions he has never faced but says England’s top order are capable of putting runs on the board.

‘I’ve never seen turn like that. They almost feel like day-five pitches from ball one,’ he said. ‘We’ve been completely outplayed the last two games but we’re still in a position to draw in India and we can put a good performance in and get a 2-2 draw, that would be a really good achievement.’

TRIBUTES poured in last night for former West Ham and Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder, who died aged 65 after a long battle with a brain tumour.

Roeder (above) played for QPR – who he captained in the 1982 FA Cup final – and Newcastle, worked as a coach under Glenn Hoddle with England and also managed Gillingham, Watford and Norwich.

While at West Ham in April 2003, Roeder was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He had surgery and returned to the dugout that July.

The Hammers said they were ‘deeply saddened’ by his death and all his old clubs paid tribute, while Gary Neville called him ‘a fantastic person’. Gary Lineker described Roeder as ‘a real football man who had a great career on the field and in the dugout’.