England v India: Joe Root 'very confident' hosts can level series

Highlights: India crush England with superb bowling display

By Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at the Kia Oval

Captain Joe Root is "very confident" England can respond to their fourth-Test defeat by India and draw the series at Emirates Old Trafford.

India, who wrapped up a 157-run victory on the final day at the Kia Oval to take a 2-1 lead, have not won a series in the UK since 2007.

"We're capable of turning things around very quickly," said Root.

"We don't have long to dwell on it. We can get straight back out there at Old Trafford and put some wrongs right."

The fifth and final Test gets under way on Friday.

England had not lost a home series for seven years until they were beaten 1-0 by New Zealand in June.

Set 368 to win at the Oval or, more realistically, aiming to bat out the final day to secure a draw, England were bowled out for 210 shortly after tea.

Earlier in the series, England suffered a devastating final-day defeat in the second Test at Lord's, only to bounce back with an innings win in the third Test at Emerald Headingley.

"We've got to look at how we responded from Lord's and the performance we put in at Headingley," said Root, who made 36 on Monday.

"There's every confidence we can go to Old Trafford and get a win."

'That's the game, surely!' - India close in on victory with Root wicket

England were without several first-choice players at the Oval. Pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad are injured, all-rounder Ben Stokes has taken a break from the game and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler was absent for the birth of his second child.

But Root said: "We look at the group of players we've got here and absolutely feel we shouldn't be in this position.

"As well as India have played this week, I still feel like we should have got something out of this Test."

England dropped six catches in the match and failed to take a commanding first-innings lead, bowled out for 290 in response to India's 191.

"We could have stamped our authority on things earlier in the game," said Root. "We should have got a bigger lead - it would have been nice to have another 100 runs. That really cost us.

"We did put down a few chances. Some were extremely difficult."

With only three days between Tests, England will monitor the fitness of James Anderson.

The 39-year-old, their leading Test wicket-taker of all-time, has played all six of the home Tests this summer and bowled 47 overs at the Oval.

Anderson went into the opening Test of 2019 Ashes series nursing a calf injury and was only able to bowl four overs before taking no further part in the match.

"You have to weigh everything up, to make sure physically he's in the right place to play a Test," said Root.

"Even with his quality, if he goes down injured it leaves us in a very difficult place, not only for the rest of the game but the winter as well.

"We have to be smart about it and we have to find a way of winning as well. It's a delicate balancing act."

England v India: 'He knew he'd had it' - Dawid Malan run out for five

Related topics