Root urges desire in final Test

Joe Root has left his England team in no doubt that a vast and urgent improvement is needed in the final Test of their arduous winter.

In a first assignment since their 4-0 Ashes drubbing, England again fell flat with an innings defeat to New Zealand in Auckland.

Root, who voiced his steadfast support for Trevor Bayliss as the “right man” to continue as England coach, spelled out his and his team-mates responsibilities to reach a much higher standard. They will have that opportunity when the second and final Test starts in Christchurch tonight.

Victory would square the series and prevent England’s longest winter schedule for 55 years ending on another downer.

Root began his bid to arrest the slide by following England’s three-hour training session by convening a lengthy meeting to discuss the task ahead with his bowling attack.

Afterwards, he said: “We hope we can put right what was a really bad week. The (two days of ) rain (in Auckland) made it look a lot better than it was. We know we were well off the mark.

“It’s about making sure we’re far better than we have been so far on this tour.”

Changes are sure to be on the agenda.

Moeen Ali and Craig Overton are perhaps the most likely to make way to accommodate the possible return of fit-again seamer Mark Wood or a debut for batsman Liam Livingstone.

Ben Stokes’ fitness to bowl – as he suffers with a stiff back – remains a significant complication, and Root knows he cannot afford to take chances with his game-changing all-rounder.

David Warner was the ringleader behind the Australia ball-tampering scandal which has seen him, captain Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft hit with lengthy bans.

Vice-captain Warner and Smith have been banned from international and domestic cricket for 12 months and Bancroft for nine months by Cricket Australia following the Cape Town controversy.

Batsman Warner will never be considered for a team leadership position in the future, while Smith and Bancroft will not be considered for such roles until 12 months after their bans end.