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31.07.2014 Sports News

England hungry for a win, says Joe Root

By Allsports.com.gh
England hungry for a win, says Joe Root
31.07.2014 LISTEN

England - without a victory in their 10 previous Test matches - declared their second innings at 205-4 on day four, and reduced the tourists to 112-4 at stumps at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday.

The home side are within reach of levelling the five-Test series, with India requiring 333 more runs on the final day in Southampton.

Batsman Root said the team are fully focussed on dismissing India, starting with unbeaten pair Ajinkya Rahane (18) and Rohit Sharma (six), and ending almost a year without a Test win.

"I keep saying, these six wickets, we're really hungry for a win," Root said afterwards.

"Obviously, it's been a long time now and yeah, that's all we're really bothered about."

Root added: "All we can really do now is make sure we put the ball in the right areas and try to create as many chances as possible.

"If we do that we've got a great chance of winning tomorrow."

Root also reserved praise for captain Alastair Cook, whose two half centuries have put England in a commanding position heading into the decisive day.

"The way he set the game up there with the bat and the pace, and the way he judged his innings was pretty much down to a tee.

"We wanted to have a good session at them tonight and give ourselves a decent score on the board and the way he played meant that guys like myself, Ian [Bell] and Gary [Ballance] could be a bit more free at the other end.

"Then, to go on and take four wickets as a side was fantastic. We wanted to get at least a couple but to make good in-roads into their top order was really pleasing."

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