Joe Root blames defeat on ‘slow start and failure to deal with new ball’

over 4 years in The guardian

• England captain frustrated at letting South Africa off the hook • Fourteen members of Test squad have gone down with illness
Joe Root looked a few pounds thinner than when he last addressed the press. And a little less cheerful. For the second time in three Tests this winter he was confronted with the unwelcome yet justifiable question: where did it all go wrong?
“The first innings with bat and ball,” was his response. “We got them to 111 for five in good conditions to bowl and you’re looking to bowl them out for 180-200. I feel they got away from us more than they should. We gave too many boundary balls to someone like [Quinton] de Kock, who likes to score quickly and we allowed him to play in the manner he likes. Then with the bat, losing five wickets very cheaply was very disappointing. Continue reading...

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