Ashes 2019: Root’s toughest Test

The England team wear red caps in support of the Ruth Strauss Foundation at Lord's Cricket Ground

One job of the media manager of the England team, among others, is to sniff the air, smell potential trouble and nip it in the bud. Danny Reuben, a permanently upbeat Yorkshireman of sunny disposition (they do exist, believe it or not), is the incumbent and he reminded his followers, and therefore the media, via a tweet this weekend of Joe Root’s impressive credentials as the England Test captain.

Defeat often brings murmurs about the captain, especially a humbling one and particularly in the Ashes, and the days after the first Test at Edgbaston were no different. Readers of The Times, for example, were quick to jump on Root’s leadership in comments under my fifth-day report: “should be relieved of the captaincy”, “motivational skills, zero”, “looked tired and shot” and “not particularly good, lets the game drift in the field” was a selection that appeared.

If Times readers vented these feelings, other papers would have been in receipt of similar critiques (less reasoned and less well written, obviously) and this would have been replicated on social media and elsewhere. Some players read about themselves — Steve Smith pores avidly over everything — others don’t. After a defeat, it is generally wise to avoid the scrutiny and the criticism, which is often exaggerated beyond the rational.

Reuben may have picked up those vibes and sensed some flak coming Root’s way. Maybe that’s why he tweeted about Root’s record as England captain, which is more impressive than you might imagine: only the guru, Mike Brearley, has a better win percentage (58.06 per cent) of those who have captained the same number of matches or more than Root’s 29 in charge. Root’s win percentage is 51.72 per cent and that will place him, whatever the result at Lord’s, alongside Brearley and Michael Vaughan as the only England captains who have won half their games or more among those who have captained in 30 matches or more.

The Lord’s Test is the two-year anniversary of Root’s appointment and several things stand out. First, it has been an up-and-down period, despite the high number of wins (15): there have been notable series victories at home against India and South Africa and away in Sri Lanka. Ashes cricket tends to dominate, and the bad defeat in Australia in 2017-18 (4-0) overshadows the others to some degree. Not including the one-off Test against Ireland, four series have been won, three have been lost.

A span of 30 matches is a high volume in a short time. Ray Illingworth captained England on 31 occasions but that stretched over a longer period, 1969-73. There is not much chance these days to pause, think and reset. England’s cricketers, especially the multi-format ones, are in constant demand and that may put a limit on a captain’s shelf life.

If the winning percentage is very good, then the losses, 12, have stacked up as well. Already, he has lost more matches than Andrew Strauss and Vaughan in three fifths as many games. In his 29 matches, there have only been two draws, which reflects the changing nature of Test cricket (played on fast forward) and the prevailing conditions.

Maybe that is why, despite the high win percentage, perceptions of Root as captain have been less flattering than the figures suggest they should be. It has been a period of highs and lows, and not much in between.

This inconsistency is unsurprising given that the team have been in flux. By my count, more players have been selected in that time than Root has captained matches, 32 players having been used in the two-year period. Although there were times (late 1980s and early 1990s) when turnover was exceptionally high, 32 players feels a lot. You have probably forgotten some of those who walked out with their captain, but you may not forget the next player to make his debut under Root, Jofra Archer.

The selectors have tried seven opening combinations, and have used five spinners in that time. You would be hard pressed to say that they are nearer to finding solutions: the jury is out on Rory Burns, Joe Denly and Jason Roy, and Moeen Ali has just been jettisoned in favour of Jack Leach. Other parts of the engine are spluttering a little, too: the middle order, so much a source of strength in the recent past, did not contribute at Edgbaston. The Test team are at a different stage in their evolution from the one-day team, still finding their way.

Most of all, perceptions of Root’s captaincy may be influenced by comparisons with Eoin Morgan — based not on the captain he is but the captain he is not. Most England captains of the recent past have not suffered in this way because they captained in both forms of the game.

As England’s one-day stocks rose, so did Morgan’s, and the inconsistency of Root’s team is heightened in comparison. Most England cricketers, when speaking publicly, name Morgan as the best captain they have played under. Players are drawn to success.

Root certainly carries presence at the crease, and a big score at No 3 would do him the world of good this week. The Australia pace attack will be hunting for him, for sure, sensing that he is batting at No 3 under duress because of the frailties of others, and it would be good for him to lay the doubts about his position in the order to rest.

Before Edgbaston, sections of the media belittled Tim Paine, who spoke sensibly in his pre-match press conference, not that you would know it. Now, in the way of things, the focus turns to Root: at 1-0 down, he knows he can kiss goodbye to the Ashes again if his team lose at Lord’s, so while every match for an England captain is a big one, this feels bigger than most. Still, Root’s record, as batsman and captain, merits a high degree of respect.

The Times