Joe Root has played down concerns over his lukewarm form with the bat, insisting that his experience and record give him confidence that he will find a way through a somewhat difficult patch. England’s Test captain has crossed 50 only twice in this home summer and averages 29.44 in what is his second-lowest home season average since making his international debut 14 years ago. More concerningly, the 35-year-old has been dismissed LBW nine times in his last seven Tests, including seven times this summer.
Root, however, believes the conditions have made life difficult for batters across the board in England this season. “I’ve played this game a long time and I’ve always found ways of solving those problems and working it through,” Root told the BBC after the Lord’s Test against Pakistan. “I don’t see this as being any different. There’s a reason why I’ve got 14,000 runs and a reason why I’ve played the best part of 15 years at this level.
“Of course it’s frustrating that there’s sort of a trend. There are probably four umpires’ calls within that, which could have gone the other way, and the ball is probably deviating more than it ever has.
“You try and be realistic and understand where everything’s at, but also be aware of what you need to do to keep improving and keep getting better. I’m pretty sure I’ll get through the other side. I’m not too concerned about that.”
Root who is chasing Sachin Tendulkar’s record tally of 15,921 Test runs, used his current run of form to underscore how hard scoring runs in the oldest format can be. “You’re never given anything in this game,” said Root. “You have to work for everything. You have to keep working hard and I’ll certainly keep doing that.
“You’re constantly going to get challenged and you’re constantly going to have to look to evolve and learn, but that’s never been something I’ve shied away from and I certainly won’t be doing moving forward.”
Root also believes the ball itself may have contributed to the unusually testing batting conditions in England this summer. He pointed to what he felt was a change in the Dukes ball from last season when both England and India pushed for ball changes multiple times over their series, especially in the first three Tests.
“The balls have been different this summer,” he said. “I think there is a different lacquer. They were worried about it going out of shape. They are denting surfaces more.”
Root’s lack of a substantial contribution with the bat, however, has not stopped England from making a strong start in his second stint as captain. They beat Pakistan by 194 runs at Lord’s to seal a series victory, giving Root two wins from two Tests since returning to the leadership role and England their first Test series win since 2024.
The build-up to this Test though was consumed by Brydon Carse’s omission from the England squad following an incident outside a nightclub in Derby. Root had already expressed his frustration at having to deal with another drinking-related issue involving an England player, saying on Tuesday that he had spoken to the squad about avoiding a repeat. With England now celebrating a series win, he has again urged his players to ensure their celebrations do not create another unwanted distraction.
“It’s important that we’re not talking about that, absolutely,” said Root. “It’s hard to win Test matches, it’s hard to win Test series. Enjoy it and celebrate it, but in a sensible and grown-up way,” he said.
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