 "India vs England: Bess certainly up for selection, says Root")
England skipper Joe Root has hinted that spinner Dom Bess might feature in the playing XI for the fourth and final Test against India which gets underway on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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Bess was the highest wicket-taker for England in the first innings of the opening Test which saw the visitors clinch the game by 227 runs.
Despite the win, Bess was dropped from the next two Tests against England and skipper Root has now hinted that the spinner might get a nod in the side as the visitors look to finish the series on a high.
The England skipper feels Bess has utilised the break to work on a few things and will be raring to go for the fourth Test.
"He's (Bess) certainly up for selection. He has been training very well. I think he has used the time where he missed the last two Tests to work on a few things and has practiced very hard. He has shown great character and if he gets the chance to play, I am sure he will be desperate to explore the surface," said Root in a virtual press conference.
India defeated England by ten wickets within two days in the third Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The match saw both India and England batsmen failing to shine and getting out to balls that did not turn and skidded through from the spinners.
Root wants his players to stay calm and be clear on how and where they want to score runs without being nervous at the crease.
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"The most thing is we are clear as a batting group as how we want to play and we are going into the game full of confidence. There are no scars from the last game and we shouldn't be scared about the surface," said Root.
"It's really important that the batsmen stay calm and clear on how they want to score and just trust their defence. We have to trust our defence for a long period of time. We have to maintain a balance between being calm and in control of what we are trying to do," he further said.
"I hate to see the guys go out there being nervous and not trust themselves not trust their game. They are very good players and they can play well," Root added.