England's batting application pleases Joe Root

After a grinding display of batting on the fourth day of the Edgbaston Test between England and Pakistan, Joe Root praised his team's 'magnificent effort' to get their noses in front in an evenly-contested fixture.


"The way we applied ourselves throughout this whole innings has been a magnificent effort," Root said on Saturday (August 6), after England took their second-innings lead past 300. Even as Alastair Cook and Alex Hales couldn't add much to their third day's opening stand of 120 runs, the batsmen that followed consolidated rather well to build England's essay.

"It started off last night really, with the way Halesy and Cooky took the initiative and built that platform. It would have been very easy, if we'd lost a couple of wickets then, to feel under pressure going into today. We had to absorb a little bit of pressure this morning, me and Vincey -- to get through that was really important...With any four-man attack, that's what you look to do -- take it deep," Root reckoned.

After Cook and Vince fell early in the first session, the onus was on Root and James Vince to rebuild for England. The duo added 95 runs for the third wicket to shield the hosts from a collapse. Pakistan fought hard to break the stand and nip two more partnerships in the bud before they could drag the game away from the visitors. At 282 for 5, Pakistan would've believed the match was still there for the taking. But, Jonny Bairstow and Mooen Ali came together to defy the visitors with an unbeaten 132-run stand for the sixth wicket.

"The way Jonny and Moeen played tonight was fantastic," Root said, reserving special praise for the wicketkeeper-batsman. "I think the way he (Bairstow) has applied himself to Test cricket over the last 18 months has been great."

At stumps, England reached 414 for 5, extending their lead to 311. The hosts have done well to take control but the tough decision on declaration looms. "I'm sure Cookie will want a night to mull it over...But we've just got to rock up tomorrow with the right mentality to take 10 wickets," Root opined.

The odds will be against Pakistan even if the hosts enforce an overnight declaration, as the target in such an event will be nearly 20 runs more than the highest fourth-innings chase at the venue - 283 for 5 by South Africa in 2008.