New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Joe Root has promised that England will bring something “slightly different” to this winter’s Ashes, as Ben Stokes leads a 16-man squad to Australia in search of their first series win Down Under since 2015.

The five-Test series, running from November 21 to January 8, pits England against an Australian side unbeaten at home in Ashes contests for nearly two decades. Root, England’s all-time leading run-scorer, said the tourists’ new mentality and style of play under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum could help tilt the balance.

“It’s a big series like that against a side that have got a great record at home, especially against us previously,” Root told Sky Sports News. “But I think it’s the first time we can hit them with something slightly different.

“We’re going out there with a different team, a different mentality, a different way of playing, and have played some good cricket of late. Hopefully that stands us in good stead, and we can put across some really good performances and hopefully create some history.”

Central to that new dimension is England’s bowling firepower. Fit-again pacers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have been included, offering pace options not seen on recent Ashes tours.

Wood returns after missing the summer with a knee injury, while Archer has only just resumed red-ball cricket after four years of setbacks. Stokes himself remains a bowling doubt due to shoulder concerns, but England still have six out-and-out quicks to choose from.

“It’s the first time that we’ve gone over there in the last couple of tours, or since I’ve been around, where we can hit them with some real pace and more than just one option of it,” Root said.

“It means that we’re going there with a slightly different approach and a different way of attacking than we have previously, which I think is exciting. You’ve seen what they [Archer and Wood] can do at international cricket and the performances that they put out when they’re fit and they’re firing and at their best. They can blow teams away, and they can really blow games wide open. Clearly, they’re a big threat for us and can offer something different that we haven’t had on previous tours.”

For Root himself, the Ashes remain unfinished business. Despite 14 Tests in Australia, he has yet to score a century there. But the former captain insists he is more focused on collective glory than personal milestones.

“This tour isn’t about me making 100,” Root stressed. “It’s about us going and winning an Ashes series. As an experienced player, if I go out and make big scores and big 100s, then that gives us a great opportunity to go and do that.

“It’s understanding that role within the team, building those big scores together as a group, like we have done over the course of the summer and the last couple of years. Then, hopefully, that leads to winning games of cricket. If personal accolades come along, then fine.”

With a mix of renewed confidence, a fresh approach, and the return of genuine pace, Root believes England are equipped to challenge Australia like never before in their quest to reclaim the urn.

–IANS

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