‘Not playing to survive’: Joe Root defends Smith’s approach after poor dismissal in the fifth Ashes Test | Cricket News

England batter Joe Root defended teammate Jamie Smith after his dismissal in the first innings of the final Test in Sydney.

saying a batter’s role is to score runs and not just stay at the crease. Root stated that England was attempting to rapidly accumulate runs prior to the introduction of the second new ball.

Jamie Smith’s Ashes campaign continued to be difficult as he fell four runs short of a second half-century in the series.

He was dismissed after getting started, with a commentator describing the shooting as “brainless.”

Smith backed away to hit a shoulder-high short ball over the off side but found Scott Boland at deep cover.

He was dismissed by part-time pacer Marnus Labuschagne for 46 off 76 balls. After his dismissal,

The new ball was taken five or six overs later. The strategy, according to Root, was to maximise the number of overs before the first ball.

The second new ball was entirely different, and we aimed to maximise the 10-over period before facing it,” Root told reporters after the end of play.

“You can earn an additional 20 runs, which could make a significant difference later in the match.” Therefore, there was a specific strategy behind our approach.

We are constantly trying to move the game forward. It was not simply a matter of stating, ‘Right, we are going to aim for 15 runs per over in the next phase.’

“But when you see an opportunity, you must back yourself to make the right decisions,” he added.

Root said batters will make mistakes.

Root said batters will make mistakes and need to learn from them without being too harsh or too relaxed.

Given his achievements in his career thus far, I am confident that he will find a method to adopt that mindset the next time he takes the field.

When a batter fails to succeed, it may appear a certain way, but the intention is never to get out. a batter,

Your job is not to survive; it is to score runs.

You cannot win games just by surviving.

You have to score more runs than the opposition. “It is important to ensure that you have a good method for achieving that,” Root said.

He has scored 185 runs in five tests during the series, with an average of 23.12 and a strike rate of 74. He has one fifty in nine innings, with a best score of 60.

Root also spoke about vice-captain Harry Brook, who missed out on a maiden Ashes hundred in Australia.

He said Brook should take confidence from his innings.

“Brooky played exceptionally well, and it was a vital partnership for us to play in that manner,” Root said. “

I hope he gains a huge amount of confidence from that and does not look back at it with regret.

It could be a vital innings in the context of this game,” he added. Brook is the third-highest run-scorer in the series with 316 runs from five matches at an average of 39.50 and a strike rate of over 81.

He has one fifty. England resumed day two at 211 for 3, with Root on 72 not out and Brook on 78 not out.

Brook was dismissed for 84 off 97 balls, which included six fours and a six. Root went on to score 160 off 242 balls with 15 fours.

England also received support from Smith, who made 46, and Will Jacks, who scored 27 off 62 balls. England was bowled out for 384 in 97.3 overs.

Michael Neser was the leading wicket-taker for Australia with figures of 4 for 60. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland took two wickets each.

At the end of day two, Australia were 166 for 2. Travis Head was unbeaten on 91 out of 87 balls, which included 15 fours.

Michael Neser was not out at 1. Marnus Labuschagne scored 48 off 68 balls, missing out on a half-century, while Jake Weatherald was dismissed for 21.