"We have to have a really strong inner belief to be able to come back" - Joe Root after a humiliating defeat in the 3rd Ashes Test

England test skipper Joe Root has admitted that his side need to have a strong "inner belief" in order to have any chance of making a comeback in the ongoing Ashes series. He divulged that the English camp is "gutted" after a "bitterly disappointing" Melbourne loss.

Pat Cummins and co. skittled England for a paltry 68 runs and retained the urn after claiming an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Debutant Scott Boland was adjudged player of the match for his remarkable bowling effort, picking up six wickets for just seven runs. Australia outplayed England throughout the game and won by an inning and 14 runs.

Following the third Test, Joe Root spoke to the media and said that his side must "front up" and somehow salvage some pride in the upcoming two tests. The 30-year old said:

"We have to make sure when we get our opportunities to get ahead we take them. We have to front up, make sure we stay focused, look to improve all areas of our game individually and collectively, and we have to have a really strong inner belief to be able to come back. We knew going into today we were more than capable of getting ourselves a score and it's really disappointing that we didn't manage to do that."

The hosts retained the Ashes inside 12 days of cricket, beating England rather comfortably in Brisbane, Adelaide and now in Melbourne.

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"We need to put some pride back into the badge" - Root

Australia v England - 3rd Test: Day 3

The 30-year old Root pledged to "put some pride back into the badge" in the final two matches in Sydney and Hobart after a humiliating outing in Melbourne. He urged his side to come away from the ongoing Ashes tour with something to show for their efforts:

"Everyone in that dressing room is gutted. That's not a good enough performance. We all know that. We need to put some pride back into the badge and make sure we come away from this tour with something. It's as simple as that."

On a personal front, Root had a terrific 2021. The Yorkshireman ended up with 1,708 Test runs in 28 innings this year. His consistent performances throughout the year placed him third on the all-time list for most Test runs in a year, two behind the 1,710 runs West Indies' Sir Vivian Richards managed in 1976.

The England captain also asked his troops to stay mentally resilient after a horror show on Tuesday. While aiming to work hard and improve in the following games, Root said:

"More than anything, we have to stay very mentally resilient. Just keep working very hard at our games, keep looking at ways to get better. I'm in the middle of a very important series. My energy has to be all about trying to win the next game. I can't be selfish and start thinking about myself. That's a big part of captaincy. You've got to ready the players and try to instil that belief in every single one of your team and your squad. More than ever now, going into the last two games."

Following a one-sided affair in Melbourne, the two arch-rivals will meet in Sydney for the fourth Ashes Test on January 5. The tourists will have nothing but pride to play for in the remaining two Ashes encounters.