Bayliss: Wins on the road will make Joe even better

A FIRST away series win is only the start for England captain Joe Root, who will only “get better” with the players at his disposal.

That is the view of coach Trevor Bayliss, who reckons England’s search for a Test team with depth has finally been successful on this tour. And Root’s tactics have allowed the players to flourish, which will only give him and them the confidence to keep improving. “To be only the second England team to win here in Sri Lanka is a feather in the cap for not just Joe, but the whole team,” said Bayliss.

“The way Joe led from the front I thought was absolutely fantastic. I still think he’ll improve even more from where he’s at at the moment.

“Like any young captain, he’d probably like to do a few things differently, but the more you have these types of wins in these conditions that just gives the captain confidence and the players confidence in the captain that he can make the right call. He’ll just get better and better.”

Having Bayliss alongside him has been a big plus for Root because he has been given the freedom to do the job his way, which perhaps was not the case when Alastair Cook took over from Andrew Strauss with Andy Flower as coach.

Far from being a ‘boss’ or someone who feels the need micromanage every situation, Bayliss is a lighter influence, creating a calm environment for the captain to lead. It has worked a dream alongside Eoin Morgan in the one-day team and he also appears to be the right foil for Root, who wants to take some of the best ideas from the Irishman and put them into practice with the Test side.

But despite the emergence of some new players and the team moving in the right direction under Root, it is not enough to tempt Bayliss (above, with Root) to stay on and take them a little further after next summer.

The Aussie added: “I’ve always been of the opinion, even before I started the England job, that four to five years is a good life for a coach with one team.

“Hopefully you take it forward and then it’s up to a new voice, maybe someone of a different direction, to take the team forward. I’ve always been of that opinion and that’s not going to change.

“The Test team is starting to feel good just like that one-day team. When there’s a good feel around the team, the environment to actually learn and get better is enhanced. Hopefully those results continue.”