Joe Root believes that the turbulence England endured this summer has taught the team valuable lessons and left them "well placed" as they head into the upcoming winter series in South Africa. The captain’s comments came after he guided England to a historic whitewash of Pakistan on home soil, securing a decisive eight‑wicket win in the third Test at Edgbaston.
In that match, Root (62 not out) and middle‑order batsman Jordan Cox (59 not out) forged a 128‑run partnership that steered England to victory. The win capped a season that has been anything but smooth, featuring a change of head coach, a new captaincy, and a slew of off‑field distractions that dominated headlines. Root praised the squad’s professionalism and work ethic, highlighting how the players have managed to stay focused despite the surrounding noise. "I think we’re in a better place than we were, definitely," he said.
"Going through such a chaotic summer, you learn a lot about the group you have. The way we approached our cricket throughout this series has been extremely satisfying, and we want to build on that momentum now." He added that emerging from a period of uncertainty has given the team much‑needed clarity. "We’ve been through a lot in the last few months, and to now have that clear direction after the chaos is a huge part of our progress.
You can only deal with what’s in front of you, and once everything unfolded the way it did, it was our response that mattered most. The group handled that brilliantly," Root explained.
Reflecting on the third Test, which turned into a demanding encounter after Pakistan’s youngster Razaullah produced a rapid 81 off 63 balls on day three, Root said the opposition’s resurgence will ultimately benefit England. "The fact that we’ve been able to start this journey and win a series the way we have is very pleasing. Things have largely gone our way, but the pushback from Pakistan yesterday was, oddly enough, a good thing for us," he noted.
Root commended Razaullah’s aggressive stroke‑play, marveling at the youngster’s power. "Fair play to Razaullah – he made things difficult for us. He hit some wonderful shots and forced us to think hard about field placements. I’m surprised he didn’t pull a muscle swinging that hard," the captain joked.
Despite the challenge, England’s response was emphatic. "We came through that pressure and finished the series convincingly across all three matches. The big partnership at the end was exactly the kind of performance we wanted and puts us in a strong position heading into the winter," Root said.
There have been concerns about England’s ability to convert starts into centuries. Neither side managed a hundred in the three‑Test series, even though a combined 17 half‑centuries were recorded – the first time a three‑match series in England has ended without a ton since the 1888 Ashes. Root, however, dismissed the worry, pointing to the difficult batting conditions that affected both teams. "Everyone would love to score a century after getting set, but the nature of this summer’s pitches has made big scores rare for everyone, not just us," he observed.
He emphasized the value of collective contributions over reliance on a few big innings. "It would be more concerning if we depended on one or two players to make hundreds consistently.
The fact that many of us are chipping in shows we have the depth to perform at this level," Root said. He also highlighted that England posted two scores of around 400 runs in the series, underscoring their ability to build substantial totals even on challenging surfaces. Looking ahead, Root acknowledged that the winter tour will present different conditions and new tests for the side.
"We’ll face different pitches and weather in South Africa, but if we keep making strides together as a group, those big contributions will continue. The key is to maintain the momentum we’ve built," he concluded.
Fans can follow every England match this summer live on Sky Sports, including the upcoming white‑ball series against Sri Lanka, which begins with the first T20 International on Tuesday. Those without a Sky subscription can explore the latest Sky Sports deals or stream matches contract‑free via NOW.