Joe Root says England's batsmen must 'make a big impression' in the fourth Test

Joe Root admitted that England's batsmen must take responsibility for the back-to-back Test defeats to India in Visakhapatnam and Mohali.

In both matches, the tourists failed to make the most of favourable conditions and found themselves up against a significant first innings deficit.

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In an interview with Sky Sports' Ian Ward - which you can see in full by clicking on the video above - Root made no excuses for England's batting fragility.

Asked if the England batsmen were to blame for the defeats in India, he replied: "I think so, if we're being brutally honest.

"Not necessarily in the second innings, I think both times in the second innings we've applied ourselves - obviously using slightly different methods on each occasion - but it's the first innings, twice, that has really hurt us.

"Hopefully this time around we can pile the runs on and make a big impression first up."

While some faced criticism for giving their wickets away in Mohali, the England vice-captain pointed to overly-conservative batting, rather than reckless attacking strokes, as a key factor in England's struggles.

"Where I think we've probably got it slightly wrong is when they've got a couple of wickets and put the pressure on us, we've not been able to flip that back and put the bowlers back under pressure," Root said.

"At times they've just been able to bowl at us and be consistent. On turning wickets, when there is a little bit in them, you can't just sit in and survive and expect to grind out a big score.

"Sometimes you've got to be a bit more pro-active and take the initiative. Looking ahead, hopefully that is the way we're going to go about it in the next two games."

In contrast to the tourists' problems with the bat, Virat Kohli has been in exceptional form during the series and comparisons between the India captain and England's star batsman, Root, persist.

The England man though, believes that he and Kohli approach the game very differently.

"I think it's always going to be there, especially while we're in India," Root added. "It's a nice compliment, if anything. In the last couple of years, the numbers he's got have been pretty special.

"I think we are very different players and when it comes down to how we go about playing cricket, it is evidently different but I suppose it is a stats-based game and in terms of the more runs you score, the better chance you have of winning.

"So far in this series, he's doing that slightly better than me but we've got a couple of games left so hopefully we can turn that around."

Root also discussed Ben Stokes and his passion on the field, his preparations for becoming a father and before discovering how Michael Atherton likes to unwind in-between Tests - watch the video above to see the former England skipper as you've never seen him before!

Watch continued coverage of the fourth Test between India and England, in Mumbai, live on Sky Sports 2.