ROOT’S JOF THE MARK Joe short-sighted

THE idea Jofra Archer would be England’s overseas saviour on flat pitches fell, well, flat as Joe Root struggled to get the best out of his prized asset.

The expectations on the paceman, 24, playing just his fifth Test and first overseas are quite ludicrous.

But such is the excitement generated by his World Cup and Ashes bow, it perhaps still came as a surprise that he went wicketless on a day when BJ Watling carved his name into cricket history with the first hundred on the newest Test ground in the world.

Yes the pitch was flat, yes the heat was energysapping and yes Watling batted patiently but England fans were left scratching their heads as

Root and Archer appeared to be anything but in sync on a chastening day.

And they were not the only ones questioning the tactics as Archer was asked to mainly bowl short.

Former England batting coach turned BBC Test Match Special pundit Mark Ramprakash (above) said: “Jofra Archer is a better bowler than the role he is being asked to do.

“The role he is being asked to play in this match is the wrong one. He should be bowling at the top of off-stump.

“Root has a new toy and there needs to be communication and understanding of how to get the best out him.

“Bowlers have to be careful when a captain who is a batsman dictates how they bowl and decides their role.

“He’s been picked not because he bowls five bouncers an over. That is not why he was selected for England.”

Having lost Test series in Australia and New Zealand, Root is well aware of how difficult it is to take 20 wickets away from home in unfamiliar conditions and with a ball that offers far less seam movement than the Dukes ball at home.

And it is a learning curve for Archer too who, for all his undoubted skill and lightning pace that saw him top 94.5mph in one hostile spell, came up against arguably the best wicket-keeper batsman in the world.

So too did Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes,

Sam Curran and

Jack Leach mind you, in an attack that offers plenty of variety and skill and who should complement the questions posed by their fastest bowler.

They are a work in progress and this is only their first attempt away from home so there are bound to be teething problems.

Head coach Chris Silverwood said: “Jofra is still very young in Test cricket but I can’t fault his effort.

“He’s learning about himself and the game of Test cricket and equally Joe is learning to captain him as well.”

Silverwood has also vowed to improve England’s catching after he was left to rue a costly error with a “limited” player.

That’s what Watling called himself after compiling his eighth Test ton – but only after Ben Stokes had given him a life on 31.

Silverwood added. “We know that we’ve got to get better and we’re trying very hard to do that.”