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Joe Root, who led England’s demanding run-chase in the opening Test against Sri Lanka with an undefeated 62 off 128 balls, quipped that he’d had to bring out his “inner [Nasser] Hussain” under the difficult batting conditions at Emirates Old Trafford.
Shortly after England’s five-wicket victory on the fourth evening of the match, Root spoke with Hussain and Ian Ward on Sky Sports. He mentioned Hussain’s 40 career strike rate and his famously nuggety batting style, adding that he was now referred to as “Geoff” in the England dressing room, a reference to another legendary English player from the past, Geoff Boycott.
Despite his hopes that the team’s more free-flowing Bazball ethos will be able to resurface at Lord’s and the Kia Oval in the final two matches of the series, Root joked that he was proud of the adaptability he had demonstrated to close out England’s fourth victory in as many Tests this summer and added that “sometimes it’s good to win ugly”.
In addition to facing a fierce bowling attack spearheaded by Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya, Root observed that the hard Old Trafford ground, with its steadily declining bounce, was “as close to Sri Lankan conditions” as England usually provides. Furthermore, England’s hunt for boundaries was hindered by an abnormally slow outfield, which was made worse by intense overnight rain during the Test match.
It was also noteworthy that Ollie Pope won his first game as captain. Root acknowledged Pope’s contribution to England’s tactics under difficult conditions, even though he had a difficult match with the bat, making just 6 in both innings. This was especially true when Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal were batting through the fourth morning in a 117-run stand for the seventh wicket.
“Obviously I offered a few bits here and there, but I didn’t need to offer much,” Root said, having himself captained England on 64 occasions between 2017 and 2022. “He was very much in control of what was going on.
“It wasn’t straightforward,” Root added. “There were a few different things that you’d have to contend with. It wasn’t your typically English kind of Test match, so hats off to him. He was very good at changing things up, trying different things, and constantly trying to move the game in the right direction. So again, it’s another step in the way that we want to go as a team. And for us to do it slightly differently this week and still find a way to win is a really good sign for us.