“Saqib Mahmood couldn’t be in a better place to potentially play Test cricket” - Joe Root

England captain Joe Root is confident of young pacer Saqib Mahmood doing a good job if he is handed a Test debut at Headingley against India on Wednesday.

With Mark Wood ruled out of the third Test due to a shoulder problem, Mahmood looks set to make his debut for England in the longer format of the game. Speaking about Mahmood’s potential Test debut, Joe Root asserted at a virtual press conference:

“I feel Saqib Mahmood couldn’t be in a better place to potentially play Test cricket. You look at how he has progressed over the last couple of years across all the formats. The opportunities he has taken this year when given, he’s been exceptional and a standout bowler."

Joe Root added:

"He came out at the back of that one-day series (against Pakistan) as probably the most experienced player and the go-to seamer that Ben (Stokes) went to under pressure. It just shows how far he has come and it is great to see that strength and depth and him developing over a period of time as he has done now."

Oof @root66 👐🔥 pic.twitter.com/Pa5iqIceAZ

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 23, 2021

Mahmood was the leading wicket-taker in the three-match ODI series against Pakistan as England clinched the series 3-0. He claimed nine scalps at an average of 13.67.

Speaking about Wood’s constant injury woes, Joe Root admitted it was a frustrating situation which the team will have to deal with. The England captain said:

“Yeah, it is frustrating for Mark (Wood) and us as a side as well. I thought he bowled really well, especially in that second innings (at Lord’s). He gives us a real point of difference with his added pace and seems to be really good when playing. There’s frustration for him more than for anyone else. But we have to deal with it.”

Dawid Malan will offer us a lot of experience in that top three: Joe Root

One of England’s major woes in the first two Tests was the abysmal performance of their top three. In the second innings at Lord's, England lost both their openers for ducks and Haseeb Hameed for just 9 runs.

Forced to make a change, England drafted Dawid Malan into the squad for the third Test. Speaking about the left-hander, Joe Root explained that he will bring experience to the top three. The English skipper elaborated:

"Dawid Malan will offer us a lot of experience in that top three, not necessarily in terms of international experience in Test cricket. But he has played a huge amount of international cricket, he has dealt with pressure and he has played red-ball cricket over the course of his career and he has had great success. We know he is capable of big things in Test cricket.”

Joe Root also backed Hameed and opener Rory Burns to come good at Headingley. Joe Root asserted:

"I mean, Haseeb Hameed and Rory Burns are two fine players, they are very different in their styles, it is an opportunity for them to score big runs and get us off to a good start. Hopefully, we can follow through on that.”

Wishing you a speedy recovery, @MAWood33! 🤞🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #ENGvIND 🇮🇳

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 23, 2021

India will go into the third Test at Headingley with a significant 1-0 lead. After the Nottingham Test ended in a draw due to rain, the visitors fought back to clinch the Lord’s Test by 151 runs.