Joe Root has backed himself to unlock Adil Rashid’s match-winning potential in Test cricket and expects his England side to deliver a significant statement in their series against the world’s No1 side, India, this summer.
Rashid’s call-up for England’s 1,000th men’s Test match at Edgbaston has polarised opinion over the past week due to his refusal to play four-day cricket for Yorkshire this year. But he has been named as the sole spinner in the XI, with Sam Curran edging out Jamie Porter as third seamer and Jos Buttler promoted to vice-captain.
It will be the first time in 17 Tests in charge that Root has had Rashid at his disposal, with the last of the leg-spinner’s 10 caps won in late 2016 under Alastair Cook. But having seen his county colleague grow over in confidence over the past 18 months in one-day cricket, the incumbent England captain believes his time to shine is now.
Root said: “I’ve got a great idea of how to captain him. Ultimately that story will be told in time. But I have known Adil for a long time, seen his success over the last year in white-ball cricket and feel I have an opportunity to get the best out of him in this format.”
On the reaction to Rashid’s inclusion, which included the former England and Yorkshire opener, Geoffrey Boycott, calling him a “spoilt brat”, Root added: “Obviously I was in favour of it and I think it gives us a really great attacking spinning option. People are entitled to their opinions. I think it’s slightly unfair, but that’s my opinion.”
In contrast to a settled one-day side that soared to the top of the rankings under Eoin Morgan, Root’s tenure has been a stop-start affair that sees the Test team fifth in the world. But with their last defeat in a five-match home series coming in 2001, they appear marginal favourites against Virat Kohli’s confident, if slightly underprepared tourists.
“We can make a statement if we play well and win,” added Root. “It’s going to be hard. They have some world class players throughout their team and we have to be very consistent. If we do that, we will be deserved winners.”
Kohli, who represents the prized wicket among the tourists despite a modest record from the 3-1 defeat in England four years ago, said: “Over the last few years I’ve been more comfortable in my head-space. I’m pretty confident of my own ability and that’s the only thing I’m going to focus on.”
England team to face India: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root (c), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (w), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
