Root Opens Up On ‘Weird’ Feeling After Historic Win Against Australia In MCG

After clinching the MCG test, England is looking forward to winning the Sydney contest to end the Ashes tour on a high. Their star batter, Joe Root, is pleased that England have finally won a Test in Australia after 15 years, although the emotions remain mixed due to previous losses. He hopes the team will win the Sydney game as well to lay a strong foundation for the next Ashes tour.

Despite winning the MCG test, the England team is still under the radar due to losing the first three Ashes tests. The key stakeholders of this group, including Brendon McCullum and Rob Key, are also under significant pressure, as fans are demanding answers from them.

Joe Root has said that the team fully backs the management, as they have been supportive and outstanding over the past few years. He does not know about the future of anyone, but he still backs them to continue their roles after the Ashes.

"In terms of the playing group, we're absolutely committed to the management. They've been outstanding.” said Joe Root.

"You look at the group of players that we've got and you look at the guys that were involved in the team when I was captain, four years ago, and you look at their records individually, and every single one of them has improved as a player. This team has improved as a team. So I think it would be silly for the amount of hard work and things that have been done." added Joe Root.

He then explained how the current England team and management approach the game with a different mindset. It is something they aim to stick to in the near future, as there is still plenty of room left for improvement.

"Clearly it's been a very different approach and different way of doing things, but there's been a considerable move forward in terms of how we've played throughout that period. And clearly, there's always going to be things to do and things to work on.” said Joe Root.

The star England batter then applauded the work ethic of the management, saying that they work very hard to deliver better results. He believes the current England team has made great strides largely because of the strong backing from the management.

"Yes, we can be better and there's certain areas that we'll continue to keep working at but that management work extremely hard. They might do things in a slightly different way and it might appear different to what we're used to as an English team, but I think we've make great strides as a group and a big reason for it is because of the guys that we have behind us." explained Joe Root.

Importance of Winning the MCG Test

Talking about the significance of the MCG win, Root said the victory is still important because it is not only historic, but also a boost for the team ahead of the Sydney test.

"It feels weird. It's disappointing that we've lost the series, but it's really important that we managed to get the right side of the result here and it's something to build on into into the next game as well.” said Joe Root.

"Of course, whenever you lose a series, it's very disappointing. And every time you go out there, you're doing everything you can to be on the right side of the result.” added Joe Root.

He then said that the MCG win has given England some hope to remain competitive in the series, as they are now looking to carry the same momentum in the last match of the tour.

"I didn't want to come here and lose another Ashes series. But unfortunately, sometimes you get outplayed, you make a few mistakes, and against good opposition, they hurt you. That's what happened on those occasions. But it was really important that we responded well to that, and when we got our opportunities this week, we did that." said Joe Root.

The star England batter believes that ending the current tour on a high will give them plenty of motivation for the next one. Therefore, they are looking forward to performing strongly in the Sydney test, which is slated to start on January 4.

"It would be better if we win next week as well. Every Test match, every time you get the opportunity to represent your country, is a huge privilege, a huge honor. A series like this is steeped in history, and historically it's been very difficult for us to win here.” concluded Joe Root.