Root remains defiant after Adelaide defeat
England captain Joe Root remains defiant after he saw his side succumb to a 120 run defeat in the Adelaide sunshine.
After heading into the final day on 176-4, England needed 177 to win but some found themselves 177-6 after the early dismissals of Chris Woakes and then Root himself.
Despite the best efforts of Jonny Bairstow, England could only reach 233 before Bairstow was bowled by Starc for 36 to give the home side a 120 run victory.
The defeat leaves England 2-0 down heading to Perth, where they haven’t won an Ashes test since 1978.
Speaking to the BBC after the conclusion of the second test, Root said:
We have shown in the first two Tests that we can outperform Australia.
The belief is there. We’re still massively in this series.
With England already 2-0 down and the likes of Alastair Cook and Moeen Ali woefully out of form, comparisons have been drawn to England’s disastrous 2013-14 Ashes tour in which they were whitewashed by the home side.
However, Root believes that the current side are more evenly matched with their Australian counterparts than they were in 2013-14.
We’re playing better cricket this time.
We’re more evenly matched than we were last time around.
The Waca is the venue for the third test and England know they have to secure a result otherwise the Ashes will return to Australia, but with the home side’s remarkable record in Perth, that is easier said than done.