IND vs ENG 2021: "We know what he's capable of" - Joe Root on Moeen Ali's recall

Moeen Ali has been called up to England's Test squad for the ongoing series against India. The all-rounder looks all set to play a part in the second Test match which gets underway on Thursday (14th August) at Lord's.

Moeen Ali has been in imperious form in the shorter formats. The Worcestershire all-rounder is coming off a successful IPL campaign with Chennai Super Kings and has also carried his stellar form into the ongoing tournament - The Hundred - for his side, the Birmingham Phoenix.

However, Moeen has only played one Test match in the last two years, which came against India in Chennai earlier this year.

Moeen's inclusion is England's attempt to try and strike the right balance in their side. With Moeen, they could basically hit two targets with one arrow. Not only would they have the solution to their batting all-rounder problem but it would also give them the option of a fifth bowler; more importantly, a spinner.

In his presser this evening, here's what England captain Joe Root had to say about Moeen's recall:

"He's got capabilities with bat and ball, and that's why he's been called into the squad. Albeit the shorter format he's in imperious form at the minute, playing with great confidence. We know what he's capable of in a Test arena. We've seen it before, capable of scoring big hundreds, winning games with the ball, he's a fine cricketer."

Welcome back, Mo! 👋🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #ENGvIND 🇮🇳

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 10, 2021

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Moeen's a great ambassador for cricket: Joe Root

"I've always been a huge fan of Mo"

The English skipper went on to acknowledge Moeen's performance against Thursday's opponents in Chennai earlier this year after admitting that he was a "huge fan" of the left-hander.

On being asked if he felt any regret about the fact that a player of Moeen's caliber has not played a home Test match since the 2019 Ashes, here's what Root had to say:

"We're trying to manage things as best as we can over a period of time. I've always been a huge fan of Mo and I think he's a wonderful cricketer, across the formats. He's a great ambassador for the game and it's great to see him back in the Test squad. It was a brilliant performance he put in, in Chennai. It's nice to see him back around. If he gets an opportunity, I'm sure he'll be desperate to impress and show everyone how good he is, in Test cricket as well as white ball cricket."

Confirmation that Moeen Ali has been added to the @englandcricket Test squad for @HomeOfCricket. Do you think he should play? #bbccricket #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/Ore6llmaD8

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) August 10, 2021

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He's certainly a great contender: Joe Root on Moeen Ali's prospects at being involved at Lord's

Moeen Ali celebrates a wicket during the Ashes with Joe Root.

Having gone in with four pacers, England found themselves missing a spinner in the first Test. Moeen's inclusion allows Root to go in with four pacers while adding a spin-bowling option to his arsenal.

When asked if Moeen could be in contention to be involved in the second Test at Lord's, Root dropped a hint that suggests the all-rounder will certainly play his part.

"He's certainly a great contender. We've not been to the ground yet to assesss conditions and weigh things up but he's certainly in a great position to potentially play."

With Haseeb Hameed also tipped for a return to the Test side, a couple of players could well be facing the axe ahead of the all-important Lord's Test.