Interview| India might lack experience, but we won’t take it lightly: Root Premium

Joe Root emerges as a reliable figure amidst transitions in Indian and England Test teams, ready for the challenge ahead.

With several big names having recently retired — Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Stuart Broad and James Anderson, to name a few — the Indian and England Test teams must now go through a period of transition. There is, however, one comforting constant.

If ever England need an experienced statesman to carry the load, they can turn to Joe Root. A prolific run-scorer with 153 Tests under his belt, Root has revelled as the side’s batting mainstay. Speaking ahead of the start of the five Test India-England series, Root reminisced about being a wide-eyed youngster making his Test debut against India in 2012.

Among the greats of the game, Root expects a tough fight from the Indians, even as he misses going up against his ultimate contemporary, Virat Kohli.

Excerpts:

You are 283 runs short of overtaking Rahul Dravid to become the fourth highest run scorer in Test cricket history. If you could go back to the start of your career, did you ever think that you would ever reach this milestone?

I couldn’t believe my luck when I walked out to bat in that debut Test match in Nagpur. I would have been so proud of myself if I had just played that Test alone. To get the opportunity to play so many games for England is obviously a huge privilege for me. It is something I’m extremely proud of. It’s been so much fun till now. I want to keep going and enjoying it for as long as I can.

Patience, stubbornness, willingness to bide one’s time — these are qualities that make classical Test batting. Do you think that these qualities are in short supply in today’s game?