File photo of England Test skipper Joe Root.
England Test skipper Joe Root has said that the upcoming series against West Indies will give his side a chance to prove a point after the dismal Ashes campaign.
West Indies and England will lock horns in three Tests, beginning later on Tuesday.
"I think it's an opportunity for all of us to prove a point. We know that historically it's not an easy place for England to come and play, winning once in 50-odd years - but that's a great opportunity for the group. To come away from here winning would be a huge achievement, so it's something that we're very much looking forward to. It's a big challenge for us but something that we're very excited about," ESPNcricinfo quoted Root as saying.
"You don't come into a Test series not wanting to win. I think along with that we have the opportunity to learn more about this team, and more about the players within it. So that's a side note, it would be a great advantage to come out of this tour as well as that, but we're very much committed to winning this series," he added.
England is currently bottom of the World Test Championship table, with 10 points from ten games and a win percentage of 9.25 per cent.
"I think it's really important that we look forward to this series with excitement, and those guys take that opportunity. It's really important that when opportunities come around in Test cricket you really grab them and I'm fully confident that those guys are in a really good place to go out and do that," said Root.
"I thought the four-day game was a really positive step forward, our attitude towards it was excellent, the energy and buzz around the field, and the way guys improved throughout the whole game was really good. I think we made the most of what was a very docile wicket to be ready for this series. We know we're going to be judged on how we perform in these three games but we've given ourselves the best chance in the opportunities we've had to prepare," he added.
(Reported by ANI)
