Joe Root captained England for 64 Tests, a national record during his 5-year tenure until quitting as captain in April following a run of just one win in 17 Tests, including a 4-0 loss in the Ashes down under and a 1-0 defeat in the Caribbean. After he stepped down, teammate and close friend Ben Stokes took over the reins.
Root, in his first test after giving up captaincy, played an innings of substance against New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s, scoring a fantastic hundred (115* off 170 balls), his 26th in the longest format. He became only the second batter from his country and 14th overall to cross the 10,000-run mark in the longest format of the game.
SEE ALSO: WATCH - Joe Root gets a hero's welcome in Lord's longroom; teammates give him warm hugs
The 31-year-old's remarkable performance pulled England from a precarious position and took the side over the line to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
"It had become a very unhealthy relationship, to be honest, the captaincy and me," Player-of-the-Match Root told reporters after the first Test.
"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 realized over that time at home that it would have to be in a different way," he added further.
The Yorkshire player expressed his eagerness at the prospect of playing a key role in resurrecting the team's Test reputation.
"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.
"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," he stated further.
The second Test will begin on 10th June at Trent Bridge.
(Agence France-Presse Inputs)
