"It's been that kind of series where guys (like Rishabh Pant) have had to put bodies on the line."
After scoring his 39th Test hundred on Day 4 of the fifth Test against India at The Oval, England's talismanic No. 4 Joe Root said it was fitting that the series was going into Day 5 just like the previous four games on this tour.
“It was always going to happen like this wasn't it? I mean, look at the first four games. It's just been that kind of series. It's been amazing to play in and quite fitting that we're going to get that kind of finish tomorrow,” said Root, hoping the heavy roller helps his team on Monday.
Talking about the timing of stumps on day four, he said: “There's pros and cons of both, really. Their guys had bowled a lot, there were overs in their legs. You get back out there, get a couple of boundaries away and all of a sudden the game looks very different again.
“But then again, you come back tomorrow, you get another roller, you can rest up and it's a completely new opportunity. I think for both teams there's pros and cons.”
Will Woakes, who was ruled out of the game due to a shoulder injury on day one, come out to bat if needed?
“You probably saw him in his whites in the dressing room, so, you know, he's all in like the rest of us. It's been that kind of series where guys (like Rishabh Pant) have had to put bodies on the line and hopefully it doesn't get to that. He had some throw-downs in here at one point and he's ready if needed,” added Root.
Root, who has negated some of the best bowlers of this era, heaped praise on Siraj.
“He's a character. He's a warrior, a real warrior. He's someone that you want in your team. He gives everything for India and it's credit to him for that the way he approaches cricket. He's got this fake anger about him sometimes, which I can see straight through. You can tell that he's actually a really nice lad,” he said.
The former England skipper also lauded Prasidh Krishna with whom he had a run-in in the first innings of this Test.
“Prasidh is a proven performer, he is a brilliant player. You don't play for India as a seamer without having a huge amount of talent and clearly he's gonna do great things in the game.
“It wasn't anything between the two of us that sort of brought that on, that was more frustration on my part for not getting us over the line,” he added.
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