England batsman Joe Root says his team’s second appearance in a World Cup final here at the Eden Gardens after 28 years could be rewarding if it sticks to the gameplan like it has in previous matches in the current ICC World T20. In the Reliance World Cup final here in November 1987, England lost to Australia by seven runs.
“The guys have stuck to their gameplans and everyone has gone about the businesses quite well. All of them have contributed in getting the team in the right shape or form,” Root said looking back at England’s progress in the tournament.
“(Eoin) Morgan’s captaincy has been fantastic across ODI and T20. We have looked forward all the time and that has given us the momentum. We still got an inexperienced side but have a keen bunch of players who are looking to improve,” Root said ahead of the team’s practice on Friday.
“If you want to win the World Cup you have to beat the best team in the tournament. We have to make sure that everything that we do can get us over the line,” Root said. Root praised the team’s bowling saying, “The way we bowled at the death in the last couple of games has been outstanding. It is now about maintaining those performances,” Root said.
While assessing his role in the team in comparison to other successful batsman like Steve Smith of Australia and Virat Kohli of India, Root said he loves to learn watching them. “They are two fine players and I always try and watch as much as I can. It is important to keep looking at the best players in the world and see how you can keep improving. Virat played exceptionally well in this tournament,” he said.
Looking at the way the West Indies has expressed themselves and emerged a strong claimant for the title, Root said England also has an outstanding set of players. “Everyone has his own way of playing. We have got plenty of players who can play in a similar fashion. We have found ways of winning games which is really important.”
