Uncomfortable Joe Root is showing the strain of being the only adult in a room of England’s boozed-up children – this innings showed how making him captain can backfire, writes OLIVER HOLT
There were still dark, angry clouds over Lord’s when Joe Root walked out to bat just before 1pm. England had been reduced to 26-2 by the bowling of Mohammad Abbas and Root was thrust straight into the firing line against the Pakistan attack. After the week the England captain has had, he could have been forgiven for thinking it never rains but it pours.
Root, a battlefield promotion as England skipper after the sudden exit of Ben Stokes earlier in the summer, has spent much of the past few days dealing with the fall out of the arrest and de-arrest of bowler Brydon Carse, who was handcuffed by police after a kerfuffle in a Derby tavern called Molly Malone’s. Carse was withdrawn from the England squad.
Grudging admiration that anyone had found somewhere to drink in Derby until 4am was soon replaced with weary dismay that another player had managed to convey the impression that the current crop of England cricketers are essentially unserious, booze-sodden idiots who are strangers to common sense, discretion and basic professionalism.
Root is England’s captain and best player and he is also a beacon of light and maturity in his behaviour. It has been said many times this week that it increasingly feels as if he is the only adult in a room full of children who do not know how to keep themselves out of trouble and have failed to grasp their responsibilities.
In those circumstances, Root was the only choice as the successor to Stokes as England skipper but his appointment was accompanied by concern, too. Root is a brilliant player and a thoroughly likeable and admirable man but the question remains: a Root captaincy may be the best thing for England but is it the best thing for Root?
Root has been England captain before, of course. He scored 14 hundreds in his five years as skipper but by the time he stepped down in 2022, he had only won one of his last 17 Tests in charge and the stress of the job had taken a psychological toll on him. It is up to England’s players to disprove this, but it feels now as if he is the only leader in a team of callow men.
Joe Root is England’s captain and best player and he is also a beacon of light and maturity
But Root looked untypically uncomfortable against Pakistan at Lord’s and was out lbw for 4
It is a heavy responsibility and on the first day of the Second Test at Lord’s on Thursday, it looked as if it was weighing heavily on him. The conditions were made for Pakistan’s seamers and Abbas, in particular, thrived in them. He had figures of 2 for 14 when Root walked to the crease.
And Root struggled to keep him at bay. He fended off a good first ball but the second thudded into his pad and even though the umpire did not raise his finger, Pakistan reviewed the decision. There were worried murmurs all around the old ground but Root escaped, the impact outside the line. It was only a short reprieve.
Root, who had admitted he was ‘hacked off’ by the controversy surrounding Carse, annoyed to be talking about off-field issues after a comprehensive victory over Pakistan in the First Test, got off the mark with his sixth ball, a tuck off his legs just behind square leg. But he looked untypically uncomfortable.
He had not added to that opening single when he edged Mohammad Ali to Imam-ul-Haq at third slip. Replays showed that the ball had carried but the chance was put down and brought Root two runs. He added another single with a streaky inside-edge but then it was over.
He had faced 12 balls when he played inside the line to Ali and the ball thudded against the pad on his back leg. Pakistan celebrated immediately and loudly. Root loitered at the crease, wondering whether to request a review. He decided against it, putting the team before himself, and turned disconsolately towards the pavilion. England were 36-3.
They recovered as the day wore on and the sun appeared. Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith made half-centuries and took England towards 250. It felt like an apology to their skipper. This team owes it to the country’s greatest batsman to help him in his attempt to make England a team to be proud of again.
