Root excited to help new regime turn it all around
ENGLAND NEW ZEALAND
JOE Root admitted that his reign as England captain had descended into “an unhealthy relationship”, forcing his decision to resign earlier this year.
Root led the Test side for a record 64 matches over a five-year period before walking away over Easter, the side having won just one of the previous 17 games.
The experiences of being the front man of the team during the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by a 4-0 Ashes humbling Down Under and defeat in the West Indies left him drained and he finally decided to pass the baton on to his vice-captain Ben Stokes.
Root’s nerveless 115 not out ensured the Stokes era began with victory over New Zealand at Lord’s, England’s first win in nine, and he yesterday spoke for the first time about his decision after collecting the player-of-the-match award.
“It had become a very unhealthy relationship, to be honest, the captaincy and me,” he said. “It started to really take a bad toll on my own personal health. I couldn’t leave it at the ground anymore, it was coming home.
“It wasn’t fair on my family, on people close to me and it wasn’t fair on myself either.
“I had thrown everything at it and I was determined to help turn this team around, but I realised over that time at home that it would have to be in a different way.
“I’m very excited to do that now and to do everything I can to help Ben really turn this team around and make this team the force it should and can be.
“I’m proud of the way I did the role. I’ll do anything I can to help England win Test matches and be a side people enjoy watching and can be proud of.
“It got to the stage where it was time for someone else to lead that, but I can try and influence it in a different role, in a different way.
“I threw absolutely everything at the role and I’m proud of the way that I tried to do that.”
In an ice cool partnership with Ben Foakes, who made an unbeaten 32 in a stand of 120, Root guided the home side to a stiff chase of 277 with his first ever fourth-innings hundred.
By doing so, Root became just the second Englishman to reach 10,000
Test runs – following in the footsteps of his own predecessor Sir Alastair Cook. The symmetry of their achievements does not end there, with both men exactly 31 years and 157 days when they crossed the threshold.
It was Root’s 26th in total, the same as West Indian great Sir Garfield Sobers, but he will be even more satisfied by its importance to the team. Nobody was closer to Root, or did more to back up his leadership, than Stokes and he already seems set on returning the favour.
England were marginal favourites as they resumed on 216 for five, with 61 runs still needed and five wickets in hand, but the equation still looked a taxing one. With thick, grey clouds overhead and the floodlights glaring from ball one, conditions were far from ideal for batting. A fragile tail, featuring at least three natural number 11s, also cranked up the responsibility on Root and Foakes.
However, the pair played carefully but positively to score the required the runs in good time and with the minimum of fuss.