Under-siege Joe Root digs deep to become England's most successful Test captain
It would be easy to compare Joe Root and Kane Williamson on various aspects such as playing the ball late, the boyish face and smile, and not giving fiery or mocking send-offs to the opposition. But Root hasn't been as fortunate as his New Zealand counterpart, at least since the first Test against India earlier this year.
It doesn't take anything away from the Kiwis, who have comprehensively beaten the likes of England and India in recent times to win the World Test Championship (WTC). But one has to feel for Joe Root, whose prolific form with the bat this year hasn't met the results it deserved.
It is fair to say that the other England batsmen hardly supported Root until the third Test of the ongoing Test series against India. Even when Root's men visited India earlier this year, their wheels fell off as the runs dried off the captain's bat after the first Test.
Here in England as well, the hosts' batting line-up revolved around their captain. However, two centuries in the first two Tests weren't enough for him to come in the firing line after a humiliating defeat at Lord's.
Root's failure to carry England to safety wasn't as disappointing as his tactics against India's tailenders. The narrative that Root was not as capable a captain as a batsman had been a burning one. England's bowlers did lose sight of the job by being mighty close to the target. Not only did Root prove himself capable of learning but also the ones under him.
Joe Root sparkles once again, but not just with the bat
Root, Jonny Bairstow, Rory Burns and Jos Buttler were the only English players to also be part of the Headingley heist against Australia two years ago. But Root didn't have Ben Stokes, the protagonist behind the stunning victory.
Nevertheless, Root had to shoulder the burden of marshaling his troops alone. England's state of affairs had only become problematic since the 151-run loss at Lord's. Mark Wood was to miss the game. Dom Sibley getting the axe meant that they needed a new opening pair. Lastly, Dawid Malan, a new addition to the squad and a likely number three, played his last Test in 2018.
However, Root seemed to have improved his team morale tremendously well following the Lord's capitulation. They turned the tables on India, proving that losing the toss wasn't so bad. India folded for 78 in the first innings as James Anderson broke their spine with able assistance from Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson.
But England's batting unit was still under focus. If their previous innings were to be taken into account, the hosts were ready to squander a golden advantage. But Burns and Haseeb Hameed stitched together a 135-run opening stand, with one-down Malan contributing a fifty, and Root once again top-scoring for England with a superb 121. India's bowling attack, rendering Root almost impregnable, hasn't been an unusual sight in the series.
It might be the smoothest ton Root has struck this summer, but it is also the most significant one. Although it did not come under a load of pressure, England needed a three-figure knock to hold a firm grip on the game.
It's not hard to imagine India storming back into the contest with a mental edge had Root headed back early. Indeed, we might still be expecting too much from England's batting unit to steer themselves to dominance without Root. The reward for the hosts was in the form of a 354-run lead - a task that even this spirited Indian side in hostile bowling conditions found improbable to surmount.
Root's steel, perseverance and bouncebackability rubs off on the England team
England indeed deserved the win for their ruthlessness and sticking to the task after a battering last week. But it would be cruel not to place Root at the heart of it. He took full responsibility for his debatable tactics at Lord's, placing him under siege.
But the 30-year old sure knew how to navigate England's dominance over India again.
He also reminded his troops of their advantageous position until their brain-fade on the final day at Lord's. As Anderson summed up after the opening day of the Headingley Test:
"We played well for four days there and came here hungry and ready to show fight."
Everyone rallied behind their skipper to give it back to India in the best way possible. England stayed away from any verbal clashes that formed the subplot at Lord's.
Instead, the seamers exploited the conditions on offer professionally, rendering the Indian batsmen listless. If their Day 1 riot was mainly due to the pitch, the England bowlers retained consistency even on the fourth day when the track seemed to offer nothing. They quickly corrected their lines from day three by drawing eight false responses from the opposition batsmen within two hours.
Ollie Robinson has emerged as Anderson's greatest understudy. Perhaps Shane Warne's comparison of Robinson with Josh Hazlewood seems suitable. The 27-year old produced that awkward bounce, offered control, and stuck to that fifth-stump line consistently on day four. He described it as the best way to get Kohli out.
But perhaps this England team have hardened under Root, who stressed on enjoying the game and hanging in there when the going gets tough. He might have started 2021 exceedingly well, but the 30-year old's form tapered off against New Zealand in June.
The series loss against the Kiwis was evidence that England will fall short against India if their captain is not back amongst the runs. So far, he has batted like a gladiator in all three Tests, accumulating 507 runs at an average of 126.75. The next highest run-getter in the series is well over 200 runs behind.
The innings win at Headingley proved England's first Test victory of the summer and Root's 27th as skipper, putting him ahead of Michael Vaughan as England's most successful Test captain. Apart from becoming their most successful Test skipper, Root also snapped his seven-match losing streak.
Root has his shortcomings and is bound to make tactical errors, as all leaders commit at some stage. However, he commits to confronting those and strives for himself and his teammates to learn from them.
Yes, Root and his side slipped at Lord's. However, England's return to winning ways in Leeds without indulging in undue on-field confrontations deserves as many accolades. He has worked his socks off to regain that hunger for runs despite the ECB not facilitating any first-class matches before the series. He has led by example, with others in the team appearing to be following in his footsteps. It wouldn't be wrong to say that England won't have a better man than Root to lead in Tests for the time being.
Nevertheless, England will know India can rise as sensationally as they fall. Root and Chris Silverwood will know not to take their foot off the pedal as the hosts could also be vulnerable. England have indicated they will not allow Virat Kohli's boys to walk over them. Australia will also know it will be a dogfight for the Ashes as Root hopes to reign his thunder Down Under.