‘Had to channel my inner Nasser Hussain’

England’s Joe Root during his unbeaten 62 against Sri Lanka in Manchester on Saturday. Pic/AFP

Joe Root found himself channeling his "inner Nasser Hussain" after England found themselves in a taxing run chase of 205 in a tricky slow pitch against Sri Lanka in the first Test at the Old Trafford Stadium. Root's task was not to dominate but to endure, and in doing so, he crafted an innings that would prove vital in England's hard-fought five-wicket victory. Root's unbeaten 62 from 128 balls was the anchor that held England's innings together.

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Nasser Hussain

Shortly following England's victory on the fourth evening, Root spoke with Hussain and Ian Ward. He mentioned Hussain's well-known nuggety batting style and career strike-rate of 40, adding that he was also now referred to as "Geoff" in the England dressing room, after another legendary English player, Geoff Boycott. "I had to channel my inner Hussain, I reckon," Root joked when interviewed alongside Hussain for Sky Sports.

"I'm still ahead of your career strike-rate, but it was a tricky one today. It was a long, slow, hard grind but we got there in the end. "The wicket lost a lot of pace throughout and I didn't really feel comfortable trying to muscle it, so I just had to accumulate in a slightly different way," he added. The conditions had forced Root to adapt his game. The Old Trafford wicket, with its increasingly low bounce and lack of pace, was reminiscent of the slow, abrasive tracks found in Sri Lanka. The heavy overnight rain had further slowed the outfield, making boundaries a rare commodity.

"It was a tricky one today," Root admitted. "The outfield was the longest I've seen in England for a while, and the wicket itself lost a lot of pace. It felt like trying to muscle the ball would only bring the fielders into play."

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