England’s batting needs to step up and support Joe Root: Coach Chris Silverwood ahead of Lord’s Test

Head coach Chris Silverwood has called for England’s top order to step up its game, adding that opener Haseeb Hameed is putting forward a “very strong case” for a recall ahead of the second Test against India.

England’s top order has been struggling for some time. Rory Burns, Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley failed to breach past the 30 run mark in either of the two innings of the drawn first Test.

“Yes, I think we do need to step up,” Silverwood said in an interaction with the English media on Monday.

“Joe’s been phenomenal for the last six months, really. But what we need to do is make sure that the guys that are batting with him are coming to the party as well. We need the guys around Joe scoring some more runs to take the pressure off him,” he added.

Root has now scored four Test hundreds this year. In the first Test, the 30-year-old scored 64 in the first innings and then came up with a masterful 109 to help England put up a much-improved batting show in their second innings.

“We have to address and accept we are not getting those runs so we have to look at why. It’s not through lack of effort…

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