Joe Root Prepared to Face Australia with Confidence and Determination
Joe Root in action for England [Twitter]
Despite his limited game time in the Indian Premier League (IPL), England's star batter Joe Root is confident and ready to take on the challenge of the Ashes. Root believes that county cricket, although important for England's Test side, would not have provided the necessary preparation for the upcoming series against Australia, where true pitches are expected.
Having played only one game for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Root acknowledges the significance of county cricket but believes that it wouldn't have helped him in terms of adapting to the conditions likely to be encountered in the Ashes.
While expressing his respect for championship cricket, Root's focus is on maximizing his self-awareness and readiness for the Ashes.
"Championship cricket is the bedrock of our domestic game and I am not trying to bag it with what I say here. I am not saying it’s not important or a good standard. But for where I am in my career, am I going to learn more about myself in that environment?.
Am I really going to be prepared better for an Ashes series facing lower-pace bowling on some nibbly wickets, when hopefully we will play on good pitches against high pace and a high-quality spinner? I don't think so," Joe Root as quoted by the Daily Mail.
Root's performance in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle has been outstanding, accumulating 1915 runs in 22 matches at an impressive average of 53.19. With these remarkable stats, Root enters the Ashes series as the leading run-scorer in the WTC cycle, further boosting his confidence and setting high expectations for his performance against Australia.
 "Vaibhav Tripathi")
