Trott applauds Root, Ballance partnership

Joe Root - Cropped

Jonathan Trott lauded the pairing of Gary Ballance and Joe Root, after they played a steadying hand for England for the second time in as many innings.

After the two Yorkshire products put on a 114-run stand in the second innings of the first Test against West Indies - which ended in a draw - Root (118 not out) and Ballance (77) once again combined in the middle on Thursday to buoy the tourists' chances of a victory in the second Test in St George's.

England, batting in reply to West Indies' 299, lost three wickets for 39 runs to slump to 164-3 after a strong start, but Root and Ballance righted the ship with a 165-run stand - taking Alastair Cook's men to a 30-run lead.

That advantage was built to 74 by stumps on day three with the tourists six wickets down, and Trott said Root and Ballance got England out of trouble.

"The game was in the balance there, and the two Yorkshire lads came in and played fantastically well, and sort of took the game away a little bit from the West Indies side," Trott told the ECB's website. 

"They [West Indies] got a few wickets towards the end, and will feel they've brought themselves back into it towards the end."

On Root, Trott said: "Class all-round player. [He can play] spin, pace… hitting the ball where he wants. 

"You get a feel he's in command of his innings the whole time. 

"The thing I find most brilliant about Joe is he can pick the gaps, he doesn't seem to hit it to the field too often, which is a talent and a real skill."

Root, who will resume England's innings on day four on Friday alongside Jos Buttler (4), said their aim is an innings victory.

"We've got plenty of batting left in that dressing room," Root told Sky Sports, with Chris Jordan, Stuart Broad and James Anderson still to bat.

"Build a partnership with Jos tomorrow morning and hopefully we get a big score and only have to bat once.

"[We] had a blip towards the end there but there is still plenty of batting left in that dressing room and fingers crossed we can kick on and make a big first innings score."

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