ROOT FACES ACID TEST AFTER THAT TRIUMPH

ASKED after the miracle at Headingley whether there was anything Ben Stokes couldn’t do, Joe Root thought for a moment. ‘His handwriting is terrible,’ said the England captain. ‘His language isn’t great either.’ If he was in the mood for a joke, who could blame him?

By scoring 135 not out to square the Ashes, Stokes had done many things, which included sparing Root (below) an inquest into his leadership. For the time being, at least.

There is still magic in the air, but reality needs to kick in quickly or the question of the captaincy could crop up again as early as this week.

Defeat in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, which starts on Wednesday, would mean he can kiss goodbye to regaining the urn. He’d then face the task of winning at The Oval to avoid becoming the first England captain to lose at home to Australia since Nasser Hussain in 2001.

Time was when Ashes defeats were considered a rite of passage for England captains.

But Hussain was the last to lead them to two in a row. After the second, in 2002-03, his reign lasted only three more Tests before he handed over to Michael Vaughan.

Root has one advantage Hussain lacked — the absence of an obvious successor. Stokes cannot shoulder a bigger burden than he already bears, while Jos Buttler, the man he replaced as vice-captain, is once trying to work out how to translate his whiteball talent into red-ball success.

Jonny Bairstow has enough on his plate, while Rory Burns is starting out. Fast bowlers are prone to injury and there really is no one else.

But that doesn’t mean Root’s leadership shouldn’t be scrutinised.

The subject is clearly a sensitive one in the England camp, who steered the media towards Root’s win percentage as Test captain.

After Headingley, it rose to 51 per cent, the highest of anyone bar Mike Brearley (58) to have led England in at least 30 Tests. Yet that tells only half the tale. So inconsistent are

Root’s side that his loss percentage of 38.71 is the thirdworst among England’s 30-Test leaders, behind Mike Atherton (38.89) and David Gower (56.25).

The rain-affected draw at Lord’s in the second Test was only the third during Root’s tenure.

While there was lots to celebrate about Stokes’ heroics, it’s not unfair to point out that Root’s first win over Australia in eight attempts was the result of a once-in-a-lifetime performance. In that respect, Old Trafford and The Oval may feel like referenda on his leaderships.

The absence of Jimmy Anderson and with opener Jason Roy and No4 Joe Denly swapping places in the order, leaves the selectors with only one decision ahead of the fourth Test — is it Sam Curran or Craig Overton who will replace Chris Woakes? It’s no slight on Woakes, who began summer fending off concerns about his troublesome knee.

He has done better than expected to play a full part in the World Cup and four Tests against Ireland and Australia, picking up 15 wickets.

But Root has turned to him less and less as the Ashes progressed. It’s time for a breather. Curran has rarely failed to make an impression during his 10 Tests, while Overton offers height and bounce.

Steve Smith returns for Australia after concussion and the Old Trafford pitch is expected to offer encouragement to fast bowlers, so Mitchell Starc could make his first appearance of the series.

The fact that Australia would then have to rest Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood or James Pattinson is a frightening reminder of their fast-bowling resources.