After the Test win over Sri Lanka in Galle, England have the chance to polish a tarnished record while for Root the new-look side look easier to lead
Show England’s Test team to the top of a ladder and they will look around for the nearest snake. But this tendency may just be fading: the victory in Galle was their fourth in a row, or, as cricketers are now contractually required to say, on the bounce. It took Joe Root’s record as captain to 11-9, still not great but getting there. If you’re an England fan any optimism has to be of the cautious variety but the next six Tests – two more in Sri Lanka, three in West Indies, one at home against Ireland – do look relatively comfy. For England, they are an invitation to polish an ugly record (only seven wins in the seven winters before this one, against 24 defeats). For Root they are an opportunity to make the captaincy, and the team, his own. A three-Test series can be brutal, allowing one side to prevail in about seven days flat. England have that chance and will seldom get a better one.
Written by Tim de Lisle
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/nov/12/joe-root-england-winter-content-sri-lanka under the title “Joe Root can make England team his own as winter of rare content beckons | Tim de Lisle”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
