Joe Root backs Keaton Jennings to come good in final Test

English skipper Joe Root has backed opener Keaton Jennings to do well in the upcoming fixtures for the national side. The young opener has been in the firing range for having underperformed in the ongoing Test series against South Africa. Despite the poor run, Root feels that Jennings has a very strong character to bounce back against all odds.

Jennings had scored 48 in his most recent innings in the third Test of the series. However, the knock looked a little scratchy. Soon after the game, former South African skipper Graeme Smith had questioned his techniquesg. Smith had gone to say that Jennings might struggle if he is picked in the squad for the Ashes. But if Joe Root is to be believed, things will get back on track for Keaton Jennings.

”He’s a very level-headed guy, he’s got a very strong character and throughout he’s been very much the same in the way he’s approached his training and in each game as well. It’s great to see someone so light of experience be very mature and go about it in the right way,” quoted Joe Root as per the quotes in AFP.

“The way he played in that second innings was extremely great to see, I’m pleased that he’s been able to get a score and hopefully that’ll lead into some more runs this week. It’s tough, and that’s why it’s called Test cricket, it can be a very hard thing to break into. You come from county cricket where there’s not a huge amount of exposure to the media and external scrutiny — and you have to get your head around it pretty quickly. It is a test of character, it’s a test of skill,” Root added further.

On Vernon Philander and SA’s chances

After a thumping win in the third Test match, England took a 2-1 lead in the 4 match series. The final Test will be the ultimate chance for the Proteas to level the series. Joe Root noted that they are not taking South Africa for granted. Also, he is wary of the challenge that the premier South African pacer Vernon Philander can come up with in the English conditions.

“He’s a world-class bowler and puts the ball in good areas. Throughout this series there have been surfaces that have been more bowler-friendly and he obviously poses a big threat to us and we don’t take him lightly. We will make sure we do our homework on him if you like and we are fully prepared for all the challenges the whole attack brings. I think it’s wrong to single out individuals — you know on any given day any one of those guys can put in good performances,” said Root.