Ahead of Sri Lanka and England’s ongoing test series Gloucestershire County Cricket batsman James Bracey is ready to learn all he can from the senior players around him.
England completed an emphatic victory on day four of the second Test against Sri Lanka to take the series 2-0.
Both Sri Lanka and England camps are remaining in a “bubble” for the duration of the series, Bracey prefers the bubble to being stuck at home with nothing to do,
“It’s been good, obviously a strange situation especially for the guys who have played a lot test cricket before, obviously I don’t know any different. Anytime I’m unsure about what’s going on I think I’d rather be here at home it’s not an ideal situation but here we have a really good opportunity to get some good practice before the summer.”
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Despite this being the first test call up for the 23 year-old he is taking the opportunity to observe the senior players and learn as much as he can:
“Those senior guys like Jimmy (James Anderson) and Broady (Stuart Broad) some of the stuff they say coming from a bowler’s point of view can help me as a batter. It’s amazing to be a part of group with those guys in it and they’ve offered me a lot in the last few weeks.”
The left-handed batsman wasn’t starstruck when he met Joe Root and praises Test captain for his approach ability,
“He’s really approachable, a really nice guy who’s eager to get the most out of the squad. I think he realises how much potential is in this team and he’s trying his best to get the most out of this team and drive us forward to hopefully do something in India.”
“When he talks about game plans and how he takes on spin bowlers at the moment is such a clear game plan, he knows exactly when he’s using what shot and how he’s going to put the bowler under pressure. I think that’s why he is so good he’s putting people under pressure; he’s not just surviving he’s putting pressure back on them which opens up even more options for him.”
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Bracey’s rise to stardom has coincided with the global pandemic forcing specatators out of stadiums, Bracey describes how he deals with this new way-of-life,
“The post COVID bubble was the first time for me so it is strange, but you do get into a routine of: Get up, Cricket, not much else, repeat. Its given me an opportunity to get to know people I’ve been seeing on my T.V. screen for however long. We could definitely do with the Barmy Army cheering on our partnerships. We are missing the energy but its something we’ve got to adapt to, once we do get fans back, I think we will appreciate it more than ever.”
Sri Lanka were favourites at the start of the day but following a miraculous turnaround that saw 15 wickets fall England have taken the series.
Under Joe Root’s captaincy England are unbeatem in 10 successive tests going into a tricky series in India.
