Joe Root defends his team after loss against West Indies

History was created on Tuesday, as West Indies defeated England at Headingley, Leeds in the 2nd Test match of the ongoing series and registered their first Test win in England in 17 years. While much praise has been lavished on the composure and performance of the Windies unit, England captain, Joe Root has had to face criticism from some quarters on his decision to declare their innings on the 4th day of the Test match. However, Root has defended his decision as well as his teammates by saying that they were not complacent at any point of the game.

Windies batsman, Shai Hope looked indomitable all throughout as he slammed centuries in both innings for his team. England, in the penultimate innings, had set a target of 322 runs in front of the Windies to seal the test match, which might have looked formidable at the outset. But the Jason Holder-led side held their nerves as they snatched the game away from England and leveled the series 1-1.

Skipper Root defends his team

The turning point of the Test match may be attributed to the several dropped catches in the Windies 2nd innings, with Alastair Cook dropping Kraigg Brathwaite on 4 and subsequently, Shai Hope in the 84th over. As reported by the BBC, Root commented on their 5-wicket defeat by saying, “If we were right on it and took all of our chances it might have been slightly different. It was spinning. It was the fifth day. We are a positive side who want to win Test matches – unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that. At no point were we complacent.”

England coach, Trevor Bayliss also came out in support of his team and commended the boys for their fighting spirit. “Previously we might not have found a way back into the game. I thought it was a real step forward for this side, finding a way to show fight and character to get into a position so we could declare,” said Bayliss. He also brushed aside the pressure of this being the second defeat for Root as England captain and added, “It keeps us focused. After the last few Tests people have been saying we were in a good place for Ashes, well we have lost this one and it will keep the guys grounded. They will come out in the next match and show us what they have got.”