PAK vs ENG Test series: Joe Root says defeating Pakistan remains challenging as England look for encore

Root hoped England's series win against Pakistan two years ago would help the visitors formulate their plans, but emphasised that the visitors will have to be at the top of their game

Joe Root on Saturday said beating Pakistan in their backyard remains "challenging" despite England's thumping series victory on the last tour in 2022, as the two teams are set for another three-game PAK vs ENG Test series starting here on Monday.

England swept aside Pakistan 3-0 in a ruthless manner in the winter of 2022 with their "Bazball" approach producing rich results.

Root hoped England's series win against Pakistan two years ago would help the visitors formulate their plans, but emphasised that the visitors will have to be at the top of their game. "Yes, that series has helped us prepare for the coming matches and we have a plan on how to play here. But this is a new series (PAK vs ENG Test series) and we have to play well again to win again in Pakistan," Root told a media conference here on Saturday.

"We learnt a few things from that series, but (playing against) Pakistan at home is a challenge. Pakistan can definitely take advantage of their home conditions and we also have a couple of new young players eager to establish themselves. It should be an interesting series," he said.

The England batting mainstay has been on a rampage this year, leading the chart with 986 runs in 11 Tests. Root is set to become the first batter to accumulate 5,000 runs in World Test Championship matches while he needs another 71 runs to go past Alastair Cook as England's highest run-getter in Tests.

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Root also needs another 10 catches as a fielder to get past Rahul Dravid's record of 210 catches in Test history.

"Every time I bat, it is more about enjoying the experience and doing well for the team as well," he said. Root, meanwhile, did not read much into Pakistan's 0-2 loss against Bangladesh in a home series. "There is no doubt (that) they have always had a couple of good skilled players and we need to be just focussed on what we are doing right," he said.

(With agency inputs)

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