Ashes: Joe Root believes England are starting to show some fight against Australia
Joe Root believes England are showing some fight against Australia even though they are poised to lose the second Test.
Last Updated: 08/12/13 10:26am
When Michael Clarke declared before the start of play the tourists were set a mammoth total of 531 to win, although it was always more likely England would aim to battle for a draw.
Openers Alastair Cook and Michael Carberry both fell cheaply, but Root (87) and Kevin Pietersen (53) managed to steady England's second innings somewhat with a useful 111-run partnership.
Matt Prior and Stuart Broad were unbeaten at stumps as England closed on 247-6 and Root thinks Andy Flower's men are starting to show some batting form in the series.
"We always want to show fight. We pride ourselves on that," Root told Sky Sports.
Pride
"Obviously so far in this series we've not managed to do that like we pride ourselves on. It's good to get a few guys getting some scores and showing a bit of fight.
"As a team we know we've been underperforming. That's quite evident with the scores we've got.
"We're going to have to make sure we keep fronting up and keep trying to trying ourselves in practice and when we get out there make sure we get in a scrap and we do the country proud."
Root has been elevated in the batting order in Jonathan Trott's absence and the Yorkshire batsman is hoping to continue in his new role at no 3.
"It's been great. Obviously I've only had two innings, a bad shot in the first innings - which I try not to talk about too much - but hopefully I can try and put some scores together and try to cement that spot," he continued.
Scrap
"We're in a scrap, we knew that and we knew we'd have to come out fighting and that's what I was trying to do, fight for as long as I could and stay out there for as long as possible.
"I had to drag myself off. Obviously I was very disappointed. I just wanted to try to do as best a job as I could for England."
Root played arguably his best innings yet to help push the Adelaide Test into a final day but he knows it will count for nothing unless England somehow close out a stalemate.
When it was put to him this could have been his most rewarding performance to date, he replied: "Ask me if we get a result at the end of the game.
"To me, if we're losing Test matches - regardless of your scores - you're not going to pride yourself on your performance."