England defeated Pakistan by 194 runs at Lord's and gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Joe Root’s second stint as Test captain got off to a great start as England secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series against Pakistan following a dominant 194-run victory at Lord's.
After the triumph, Root urged his teammates to celebrate responsibly, ensuring that the media narrative stays on cricket rather unnecessary off-field controversies that have marred past English celebrations.
“It’s important we’re not talking about, absolutely,” Root said during the post-match media interaction at Lord’s. “But it’s hard to win Test matches, it’s hard to win Test series, so enjoy it and celebrate it, but in a sensible, grown-up way. It’s been a really good start to, I don’t know what you want to call it, this new team.”
While England sealed the series with a match to spare, Root endured a tough time with the bat, registering scores of 66, 4 and 24. In fact, the veteran batter averages less than 30 across nine innings this summer, which is considerably below his career average of 50.38.
A major talking point arose from him being dismissed LBW seven times, including twice in a single Test match at Lord's.
However, Root is not overly concerned and is focusing on self-belief, technical adjustments, and a calm perspective to break out of his recent batting slump.
“I’ve always been quite good at understanding and eventually problem-solving,” he stated. “I’ll continue to keep working hard. I might have been lbw a few times, but lots of those have been umpire’s call – if they go the other way it might not be as much of a talking point.
“We’ve also seen the ball move more than it ever has. So there has to be a sense of calm and realism around things. I know I’m a good player, and I’d like to think there’s a big score around the corner.”
Root also expressed concerns over the performance and manufacturing consistency of the Dukes balls being used this season. He believes the current batch of balls feels harder than in previous years.
“I think they’ve been very different this year,” Root said. “I think there’s a different lacquer to them. I don’t know, I’ve not got evidence on that – you probably need to ask Dukes – but I think there’s lacquer on the seam.
“As a batter, when you practise, they’re cracking your bats more frequently. And they seem a lot firmer.”
Root suggested the harder balls could be having an impact on the pitches themselves, potentially creating more movement for the seamers.
“I think they’re affecting the wickets as well. I think they’re denting more. If they dent the wicket it’s going to seam off the dents as well, it’s going to move more,” he said.
England will now head to Edgbaston for the third and final Test against Pakistan beginning on September 9.