Joe Root believes that England have emerged stronger after a turbulent summer, and that they are "well placed" as they head into the upcoming winter tour of South Africa. The optimism follows a historic home whitewash of Pakistan, a series in which England secured a clean sweep for the first time on English soil. In the decisive third Test at Edgbaston, Root (who scored 62 runs) and middle‑order batsman Jordan Cox (59) forged a 128‑run partnership that steered England to an eight‑wicket victory.
The win capped a season that has been anything but calm, featuring a change of head coach, a new captaincy, and a slew of off‑field controversies that dominated headlines. Root praised his teammates for their professionalism, work ethic, and composure amid the surrounding noise. "I think we're in a better place than we were, definitely," he said.
"Going through a chaotic summer teaches you a lot about the group you have. The way we have approached our cricket has been very pleasing, and we want that to continue." He added that emerging from the recent upheaval with clarity was a crucial step forward. "You can only deal with what's in front of you, and once everything unfolded the way it did, the most important thing was how we responded. The group has done that brilliantly." Reflecting on the third Test, which turned into a tense encounter after Pakistan’s youngster Razaullah produced a heroic 81 off 63 balls on day three, Root acknowledged that the brief resurgence from the opposition would ultimately benefit England.
"The fact that we’ve been able to start that journey and win a series in the manner we have is really pleasing," he said. "We had a little pushback from Pakistan yesterday, and in a strange way that was good for the group." Root commended Razaullah’s effort, noting the difficulty of field placements and the power behind his strokes. "He made things difficult for us, playing wonderful shots and swinging the bat hard. It was impressive that he didn’t pull a muscle," Root remarked.
"But we came through and finished the series convincingly across all three games, which is exactly what we wanted and puts us in a nice place heading into the winter." One lingering concern after the series was the lack of centuries; neither England nor Pakistan managed a hundred despite accumulating 17 half‑centuries across the three Tests. It marked the first three‑match Test series in England without a ton since the 1888 Ashes.
Root brushed aside worries about the team’s ability to convert starts into big scores, pointing out that the conditions and pitches throughout the summer were challenging for everyone. "Everyone would love to make a century after getting set, but the nature of the summer and the surfaces has been tough across the board," he explained. He highlighted the significance of contributions from multiple players rather than reliance on a single star.
"It would be more concerning if we were depending on one or two individuals to score hundreds consistently. The fact that everyone is contributing shows they are good enough to perform at this level," Root said. He also emphasized that England managed to post scores of 400 twice in those difficult conditions, underscoring the depth of the batting line‑up.
Looking ahead, Root acknowledged that the winter tour will bring different challenges, including varied pitches and weather conditions in South Africa. Yet he remains confident that the momentum built during the home series will carry forward. "We’ll face new challenges and different surfaces, but if we keep taking strides forward as a group, those big contributions will keep coming," he asserted. Beyond the Test arena, England’s schedule continues with the white‑ball series against Sri Lanka, beginning with the first T20 International on Tuesday.
Fans can watch every England match live on Sky Sports, or explore streaming options through NOW for those without a traditional Sky subscription. The upcoming winter tour of South Africa promises to test the team’s adaptability and resolve, but Root’s message is clear: the lessons learned in chaos have forged a resilient side ready to compete on the global stage.