Root is growing into with perfect timing
and felt that it didn’t really need to change. But things have developed within the team and that spot opened up and I was asked to do it.
“I thought this was the right time to take that added responsibility. It is quite pleasing to get quite a big score early on in this position.”
Pleasing too, for England Director Andrew Strauss, who made it clear where he stood over Root’s suitability for the top job when he made him Cook’s official number two last May, stressing: “He’s got outstanding leadership capabilities and we need him to start thinking more as a captain.”
And Root believes the experience he is picking up as he goes along will stand him in good stead when Cook eventually decides his time is up.
“Just from playing more and more you’re always learning…. chatting to Cookie about the game, on and off the field, chatting to the bowlers about what they think and just watching the experiences we have as a side, watching different stages of the game, how Cookie goes about things, knowing his team as well.
“For instance, it was a controversial thing not taking the follow-on at Old Trafford, but with so much time left in it and the mental approach to the second innings, making sure our bowlers were fresh second time around.
“Cookie knows his team and knows his bowlers, and he knows what it takes to win Test matches, that’s exactly what a good captain does and watching him go about it, the way he leads, is a good learner for me in that vice captain role.
“I’ve been speaking up in meetings a bit more, having a bit more responsibility, expressing myself about the opposition or different surfaces we play on... just trying to offer my previous experiences to newcomers in the side.” And, looking further ahead, other experiences, like those he felt while being part of England’s 5-0 defeat Down Under, have also been stored away for later use, for with the Ashes up for grabs again in 18 months’ time, Root admits the chance of payback will be a major motivating factor. “I think there are a few players in our squad who would like to get back out there and put some really strong performances in. “It is one of the best feelings in Test cricket, I would imagine, winning in Australia. Hearing about it makes you very hungry to go and do it yourself. “We’ve got a really strong squad of players who can go and do something special over there.” Joe Root was speaking at his first club, Sheffield Collegiate CC, on behalf of Hardys Wine & their Heartbeat of the Club campaign. Find out more @HardysWineUK