Ashes 2019: England captain Joe Root has 'no concerns' about team's batting before Australia series
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Highlights: Ireland all out for 38 as England avoid upset
Specsavers Test, Lord's (day three of four) |
England 85 (Murtagh 5-13) & 303 (Leach 92) |
Ireland 207 (Balbirnie 55) & 38 (Woakes 6-17, Broad 4-19) |
England won by 143 runs |
Captain Joe Root says he has no "concerns" about England's batting before the Ashes against Australia.
The hosts were bowled out for 85 by Ireland before lunch on day one at Lord's before fighting back to win the Test by 143 runs on Friday.
It was the fourth time England have lost all 10 wickets in a session since 2016.
"It's difficult coming out of a World Cup on to an extreme wicket," Root told BBC Test Match Special.
Root said the England batsmen must be "slightly tighter and more selective", but said their struggles at Lord's owed much to "substandard" pitch.
England will name their squad for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, which starts on 1 August, at 11:00 BST on Saturday.
After dismissing Ireland for 207 as 20 wickets fell on day one, England looked in a dominant position at 171-1 but slipped to 303 all out to set the tourists 182 for victory.
Chris Woakes claimed 6-17 and Stuart Broad 4-19 to dismiss Ireland for just 38 - the seventh lowest total in Test history - on day three in perfect conditions for seam bowling.
Six for Woakes as Ireland are bowled out for 38
"Ireland bowled well and exploited our defences. But they are the challenges you get on a surface like this," said Root, who made two in the first innings and 31 in the second.
"Hopefully we won't have too many of them in the summer but, if we do, then we know what it takes to win on it.
"We still managed to find a way to win and that shows great resilience, courage and unity.
"Now I feel like we can really start focusing on the Ashes."
Root said Australia will be "thinking it's doing a bit" when looking at England's victory over Ireland but that it was "hard for anyone to read too much" into the scorecard.
England coach Trevor Bayliss said he has "had concerns about the top order for a little while" and they still need "someone to put their hand up".
Opener Rory Burns and number three Joe Denly managed 12 and 33 runs respectively against Ireland, while debutant Jason Roy hit 72 in the second innings, but nightwatchman Jack Leach top-scored with 92.
"We're looking for someone to take over from the likes of Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook," Bayliss told TMS.
"Jason Roy got a decent score but we need someone to make 170 in those situations."
Highlights: Ireland bowl England out for 85 before lunch
'We will be fully ready for Ashes'
Bayliss said England's thrilling World Cup final victory over New Zealand 10 days before the Ireland Test started "did play a part" in their performance over the first two days at Lord's.
"I would like to see us approach the first two days with the intensity we went into this morning's play with," he told Sky Sports.
"We've got no problems getting up for a game when it's Australia or India, but it's matches like this that we have to take a good, hard look at ourselves and do it better - it's been happening for a while.
"We showed on Friday morning how ruthless we can be. We need to get that into our batting as well."
Root added: "We were nowhere near our best but managed some pressure moments well.
"We knew the challenges of the schedule. As players you pride yourself on managing that.
"Some of us maybe didn't get it quite right, but minds will be fully ready for the Ashes."