Joe Root reflected that England have emerged stronger after a chaotic summer, and now feel "well placed" as they head into the upcoming winter tour of South Africa. The comments came after he captained his side to a historic whitewash of Pakistan on home soil, a series that ended with a dominant eight‑wicket victory in the third Test at Edgbaston. Root (62 not out) and middle‑order batsman Jordan Cox (59 not out) forged a 128‑run partnership that steered England to the win. The partnership not only secured the match but also capped a summer that saw a new head coach installed, a fresh captain at the helm and a host of off‑field distractions that dominated headlines.
Despite those challenges, the English side displayed professionalism, a strong work ethic and an ability to block out external noise, according to their skipper. "I think we're in a better place than we were, definitely," Root said. "Having gone through a tumultuous summer, you learn a lot in chaos. You discover the true character of the group you have, and the way we have approached our cricket this series has been very pleasing.
We want that to continue now." He went on to explain that emerging from a period of uncertainty gave the team clarity. "All the things we've been through recently, to now have the clarity and come through the other side of chaos, is a really important part of our progress. You can only deal with what's in front of you, and once everything unfolded the way it did, our response was what mattered most. The group have done that brilliantly." Root also addressed the challenging moments of the third Test.
Pakistan’s young fast bowler Razaullah produced a heroic 81 off 63 balls on day three, setting England a target that looked at times uncomfortable. Yet Root praised the youngster’s effort, saying, "Fair play to Razaullah, he made things difficult for us. He played wonderful shots and made field placements a nightmare.
He struck the ball so well – I don’t know how he didn’t pull a muscle swinging that hard." Despite that pushback, England recovered and finished the series with a convincing performance. "The fact that we’ve been able to start that journey and win a series in the manner we have is really pleasing," Root noted. "We had things go our way throughout the series, and that little bit of resistance from Pakistan was actually good for the group.
It gave us a chance to test our resolve." Root highlighted the importance of the big partnership that saw England home, describing it as "exactly the sort of thing we’re after" and saying it puts the team in a comfortable position heading into the winter months. He also touched on a statistical oddity: neither England nor Pakistan managed a century in the three‑Test series, despite a combined 17 half‑centuries.
It was the first three‑match Test series in England without a hundred since the 1888 Ashes. When questioned about the lack of centuries, Root dismissed any alarm.
"Everyone would love to make a hundred after getting set, but the nature of this summer and the surfaces we’ve played on have made big scores difficult for everyone, not just us. The pleasing thing is that from 2‑2 after the first over of the second innings, we could see home runs from both Root and Cox at the end – that’s a step forward." He added that reliance on a single or two players to score centuries would be more concerning than the current spread of contributions. "The fact that everyone is contributing shows they’re good enough to perform at this level. We'll face different challenges and surfaces in the winter, but we can keep taking strides forward as a group.
That includes players making big contributions. And we still managed to post 400 twice in these conditions, which is encouraging." Root’s optimism extends beyond the immediate series. He believes the experience of facing a resilient Pakistani side will benefit England in the long run, especially as they prepare for the varied pitches and climates of South Africa.
The winter tour will test the team's adaptability, but the lessons learned from a chaotic summer – learning about each other's strengths, handling pressure, and maintaining focus amid distraction – should serve them well. Looking ahead, England fans can follow every match of the international summer live on Sky Sports, including the upcoming white‑ball series against Sri Lanka, which kicks off with the first T20I on Tuesday.
For those without a Sky subscription, there are streaming options through NOW, offering contract‑free access to the action. In summary, Joe Root believes that the adversity England faced this summer has forged a more resilient, cohesive unit.
The partnership between Root and Cox, the ability to respond to setbacks, and the collective contribution of runs across the batting order all point to a side that is not only ready for the challenges of a South African winter tour but also poised to build on the momentum generated by a historic series win.