England captain Joe Root said on Friday that skipping the lucrative IPL auction for the third year in a row was a “very difficult decision” and made the decision considering the tight schedule for the national team this year.
The IPL auction is scheduled for February 18 in Chennai with a total of 292 players ready to go under the hammer, including Root’s compatriots Moeen Ali, Jason Roy and Mark Wood.
“It is a very difficult decision. I am desperate to be a part of an IPL season and hopefully beyond, ”said Root, who scored 218 victories to lead England to a massive 227-run victory in the series opener.
With a four-game series lead, England are in contention for the only available spot for the inaugural final of the ICC World Trials Championship at Lord’s on June 18-22.
England know that two more victories in the three remaining rounds in India will see them qualify for the WTC final against New Zealand.
Root and Co will face Kiwis in a two-match home test series before the coveted five-test Ashes series against Australia in Australia. They also host India for five tests starting in August.
“With the amount of test cricket in particular this year, I didn’t feel like it was the right time, I didn’t feel like I could put all my energy into it, which I think it deserves.
“I don’t think it will serve English cricket better with what is to come… So, a very difficult decision. Hopefully next year there will be more opportunities to be part of the IPL, or at least be at the auction. “
Referring to the second test, Root said that he is well aware of the challenge his team faces despite having won the first game convincingly.
“It certainly offers a severe challenge, but it won’t be as difficult as being 1-0 down. We are in a very good position. We play brilliant cricket and we will be very confident in this week. But we won’t get ahead of ourselves. “
“I think we understand a lot the hard work it takes to win in these conditions, we saw it first hand in the last week … So we know what it will take with that challenge … excited.”
India’s captain Virat Kohli scored the leading scorer for India in his second inning of Test 1 with a sublime 72-run career. England have their plans for Kohli, but Root said he is sure to score runs at some point in the series.
“In the first innings of the first Test, Bessy (Dom Bess) made a brilliant delivery to get rid of him. We have to keep throwing our best balls over and over again and try to pressure him. We know he’s one of the best players in the world and he’s desperate to prove a point this week. “
Root was really impressed with how his team implemented the game plan in the first test.
“We managed to get those big first-inning races that we often talk about. I want to deliver those great performances that will help us win this series and we have the talent to do that, ”said Root.
England will miss their pitcher Jofra Archer due to an elbow injury, making Ben Stokes’s role with the ball more crucial.
“Yes, it absolutely can. It looks in good shape. We have to be quite smart with him. In the last game he looked a bit awkward at times. The more you cook, the more comfortable it will look.
“The further you go into the series, the more you ask for the ball, it will turn things around and have an impact. It’s exciting to think that there’s still so much more to come from him, ”he said.
England have shut out James Anderson despite his heroic effort in the first test, but Root said it gives the 38-year-old veteran rider a chance to come back fresh in the last two tests in Ahmedabad.
“Everyone’s heart was in favor of him being available for this game, but you also look at the bigger picture… We want to give James the best chance to get fit and shoot in the last two games.
“And ideally, if he’s available for two of the last three, that’s a huge advantage for us as a team,” concluded the skipper.
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