Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja was all praise for England skipper Joe Root. He feels Root is the reason why the test series is leveled at 1-1, or else India would have been up 3-1. Joe Root is the leading run-getter in the series so far. He has scored 507 runs in three matches at an average of 126.75. His runs tally this series includes three hundreds and a fifty. Joe Root has led the England batting line-up from the front.
Usman Khawaja stated in a video on his Youtube Channel, that Joe Root is the one who is stopping India from dominating the series. Khawaja said:
“Joe Root again, on fire. He has batted like the class batsman he is. He has been one of the best in the world for a long time. India needs to find a way to get him out early. He is the difference right now. If it wasn’t for (Joe) Root, India would be 3-0 up. (Joe) Root is the one who has been stopping it.”
The Australian batsman also said that a big score is around the corner for Virat Kohli. The Indian skipper has been struggling to make his starts count in the series so far. He scored 55 runs in the Leeds Test match, but failed to get to the three-figure mark.
“I feel like it’s around the corner. He has been looking good. 40 this innings, he’s got a couple of starts. And whether he can come out and score runs and make a big one for India, Root has been doing it at the other end. Will Virat be doing it? Everyone is watching it. The eyes are on him. The pressure is on him. I would love to see him respond in the right way,” he added.
I still think India will win, but the confidence has come down a little bit: Usman Khawaja
Usman Khawaja asserted that the changes England has made to their batting line-up by bringing in Dawid Malan, has strengthened their team. He added that their experienced middle-order gives them the best chance to win the series. Usman Khawaja said,
“The changes that England have done to their batting line-up, I actually think that they have straightened their batting line-up. I do think that having a middle-order with (Dawid) Malan, (Joe) Root, (Jonny) Bairstow, (Jos) Buttler, experienced guys who have played a lot of international cricket, gives England the best chance of winning the series.”
The Australian cricketer also believes that the visitors can still make a comeback and go on to win the series.
“I was really confident about India winning before. Still think India will win, but the confidence has just come down a little bit because experience always trumps out everything else. I think India is going to win,” Usman Khawaja concluded.
