Ashes 2021-22: Root issues England rallying cry in ‘challenging’ circumstances

The
tourists
have
already
succumbed
to
yet
another
series
loss
Down
Under
before
a
ball
has
even
been
bowled
in
the
penultimate
Test
at
the
Sydney
Cricket
Ground,
having
been
outclassed
in
Brisbane,
Adelaide
and
Melbourne.

England’s
task
has
further
mounted
heading
into
the
next
Test,
which
starts
on
Tuesday,
with
head
coach
Chris
Silverwood
leading
a
list
of
absentees
from
the
backroom
staff
due
to
COVID-19
issues.

Alongside
the
coaching
shortage,
some
local
net
bowlers
for
the
England
side
have
also
been
withdrawn
due
to
coronavirus
complications,
but
Root
insisted
the
seeming
crisis
is
an
opportunity
for
his
team
to
unite.

“It
has
made
things
disjointed
and
challenging
but
it
is
a
chance
to
come
together,”
Root
told
BBC
Sport.

“We’re
trying
to
manage
it
as
best
we
can.
In
terms
of
practice,
it’s
obviously
going
to
look
very
different.

“We’ve
all
just
got
to
be
good
human
beings,
good
professionals,
help
each
other
out
where
we
can
and
try
and
get
the
best
possible
prep
going
into
these
last
two
games.

“Whether
it
be
putting
pride
back
into
the
badge,
whether
it
be
making
sure
that
we
get
Test
Championship
points,
[and]
for
individuals
making
sure
that
they’re
pushing
hard
to
cement
their
spots
in
the
team.
There’s
a
huge
amount
to
play
for
this
group
of
players.

“We’ve
got
to
stay
tight,
we’ve
got
to
stay
together.
And
we’ve
got
to
put
in
a
performance
on
one
of
the
great
Test
venues
in
world
cricket.”

Root
enjoyed
an
outstanding
2021
on
the
personal
front,
finishing
with
1,708
runs
at
an
average
of
61
–
the
third-best
haul
in
a
calendar
year,
only
behind
Vivian
Richards
(1,710
in
1976)
and
Mohammad
Yousuf
(1,788
in
2006).

Indeed,
Root
scored
26
per
cent
of
all
of
England’s
runs
last
year
–
the
highest
proportion
of
any
player
for
their
respective
teams
in
2021
–
but
questions
have
been
raised
over
the
31-year-old’s
captaincy
credentials.

Nevertheless,
Root
–
who
received
the
backing
of
Ben
Stokes
earlier
on
Monday
–
ensures
he
will
continue
focusing
on
the
job
ahead
as
he
dismissed
topics
surrounding
his
future.

“I
need
to
make
sure
that
my
full
focus
is
on
these
two
games,”
he
added.
“First
and
foremost,
I
need
to
try
to
get
the
best
out
of
the
group,
make
sure
we
put
in
those
performances
we
keep
banging
on
about
out
there
on
the
field.

“We’ll
worry
about
the
captaincy
at
the
end
of
the
series.
I’ve
got
two
big
games
here
to
manage
well.”