Tough questions spurred Root to new heights

LONDON: England star Joe Root has admitted a hurtful poser from batting coach Mark Ramprakash spurred him on to his finest Test innings — a match-winning 254 in the second Test against Pakistan.

Two loose dismissals in the first Test defeat against Pakistan at Lord’s, after being moved up to No 3, led to the Yorkshireman seeking out the national team’s batting coach.

“It was almost like the final straw at Lord’s,” admitted 25-year-old Root.

“I’d wound myself up and I knew having been moved up the order, being 1-0 down in the series, I needed to put a really big performance in. I worked hard in practice and spoke to Mark Ramprakash about areas I could go further with my game.

“One thing he said was, ‘Are you mentally in the right place to play Test cricket at the minute?’

“I didn’t even think about that at the time. That sort of hurt me, that someone would say that to me.

“But of course I thought about it and really homed in on practice and how I wanted to approach the rest of the series. It was a good motivator to get me in the right place for Old Trafford, it was actually exactly what I needed to hear.”

Root is now flourishing with the extra responsibility of batting at three as well as being the vice-captain and senior batsman, his 254 and 71 not out in the second Test victory over the tourists proof he is one of the best batters in the world across all formats.

He is on course to become an England great, and is happy to take the extra burden on his shoulders.

“I think I am slightly more mature and probably a bit more boring,” he added. “I suppose you do grow up in this environment.

“The personnel changes and you go from being the kid or baby in the side to having a bit more responsibility, and batting at three helped me really knuckle down and put a big contribution in.”

It might be 18 months away, but already Root is working on things to help him make a better fist of the next Ashes tour, where he wants to replace memories of a losing whitewash in 2013-14 with a winning series — just like his captain has.

“I think there are a few players in our squad who were on that last tour and would like to get back out there and put some really strong performances in,” he said.

“It is one of the best feelings in Test cricket, I would imagine, winning in Australia.

“It was great watching the guys do it not long ago and hearing the stories and memories makes you very hungry to go and do it yourself.

“Me and a few of the other guys are doing things now to get us ready for Australia and India and playing on different surfaces so you don’t just turn up and say ‘I need to do this and that.’”