SO, IS JOE GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH WHAT’S UNDER THE COVERS?

THE pitch at Lord’s was under wraps yesterday ahead of the second Ashes Test, with England skipper Joe Root hoping for a nice green top to combat Australia’s star batsman Steve Smith who has struggled against the moving ball in the past. But, after Root criticised Irish groundsman Karl McDermott for a ‘substandard’ pitch in the Lord’s Test against Ireland, will he oblige?