"All the players thrive off it"- Joe Root says England excited to play in front of fans

Joe Root is glad fans are set to be allowed into the stadium for the second Test in Chennai. The England skipper said the players thrive on the atmosphere created by the crowd.

This is the first time that spectators are being allowed into an Indian venue for a cricket match since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the high status of the game in India, Joe Root said touring players often look forward to experiencing the passion of the fans.

"The atmosphere within the ground is something which Test cricket has been missing. So to have that back is going to be great. All the players thrive off it. Having that atmosphere to build up those big moments within a Test will be fantastic. Coming to a place like India, so passionate about the sport, that's a side of the game which you really look forward to as a player, and it would be great to see the ground hopefully half full this week and beyond." Joe Root said in a virtual conference.

Fans queue up at #chepauk to redeem the #Tickets booked online for #2ndtest between #India and #England #INDvsENG #BCCI #ICC #testmatch @dt_next @BCCI pic.twitter.com/jl8pr3BVHW

— Manivasagan Namasivayam (@manivasagan_) February 11, 2021

Only 15,000 tickets have been allotted for the second Test and fans will be seated in alternate chairs to maintain social distancing. The ball will be sanitized each time it goes into the stands.

"We all want to be playing on the big stage, in front of people": Joe Root

No better way to mark your 100th Test. Couldn’t be more proud of the team! On to the next one 🦁🦁🦁 pic.twitter.com/oCufss4ZLy

— Joe Root (@root66) February 9, 2021

Joe Root claimed that fans could change the dynamic of the game for the rest of the series. He also spoke about how fans are a massive part of international cricket.

"Yeah, I think so (on whether crowds will change the dynamic of the game). It will improve massively. I think having an atmosphere within a stadium is a massive part of international cricket. Its what makes it special in many ways- that interaction between the fans and the players. Makes those big moments, the noise, that buildup. It adds to it all, Cricket is a big part of life here and we are very much excited about that. We all want to be playing on the big stage, in front of people." said Root.

India is a special place for Joe Root as he made his Test debut here. He also played his 50th Test in Vizag and his 100th Test in Chennai, which he marked with a brilliant double century.

England need a positive result, as they must win two of their next three Test matches to book their place in the ICC World Test Championship finals. The second Test match India and England starts tomorrow.