“England aren’t a bad side just because of these three Tests” – Joe Root

Joe Root has been left disappointed and frustrated after England’s 3-1 series loss to India. However, the England captain wants to look at their winter season as a whole and return home with the positives, believing the side cannot be termed bad for losing the last three Tests.

England started the winter with a hat-trick of wins (two in Sri Lanka and one in India). Their win in the first Chennai Test was their sixth consecutive overseas victory.

But they struggled to carry the momentum into the final three Tests against India. The series defeat in India marked their exit from the race to the World Test Championship final as well.

Although England lost the series, they did have their moments and, on multiple occasions, even had the hosts under the mat.

“We’re not a bad side just because of these three games. We also have to look at this winter as a whole. There have been occasions - and there were three very good performances [in Sri Lanka and in the first Chennai Test] - where the ball has spun, and we’ve dealt with it better. But when we come home and play in our own conditions, we are a completely different side,” Joe Root told the reporters after England’s innings defeat in the fourth Tests at Ahmedabad on Saturday.

Only Joe Root and Ben Stokes managed to score more than 200 runs for England in the series. Runs dried up for the England captain after the first Test, where he slammed a double century. He finished with 368 runs at 46, while Ben Stokes got his 203 runs at 25.4.

Proud of the group’s work ethics: Joe Root

Elaborating on the positives, Joe Root emphasized the need to keep moving forward, and despite the frustrations, he praised the England side’s work ethics.

“It has been disappointing and frustrating, but it’s also important to look at the good things. We won three out of the six overseas Tests this winter. We need to keep moving forward as a team. I am proud of this group’s work ethics, the hard work they put and their willingness to improve in these conditions. We need to take back the experience with us and get better,” added Joe Root.

England remain at no.4 in the ICC Test Rankings. Their next Test assignment will be the two-Test series against New Zealand at home in June, followed by a five-Test series against India at home, and the Ashes in Australia.