Captain Joe Root has urged England to celebrate their Test series win over Pakistan in a “sensible, grown-up way” after securing their first multi-game series victory since 2024.
England beat Pakistan at Lord’s to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, giving Ben Stokes’ side a much-needed boost after a difficult period.
Root believes the players should enjoy the achievement but avoid the off-field controversies that have followed some of England’s recent celebrations. “It’s important we’re not talking about [off-field matters], absolutely,” Root said. “But it’s hard to win Test matches, it’s hard to win Test series, so enjoy it and celebrate it, but in a sensible, grown-up way.
“It’s been a really good start to, I don’t know what you want to call it, this new team.” England’s recent celebrations have occasionally been overshadowed by controversy, and Root is keen for the focus to remain on their performances on the field.
ENGLAND VS PAKISTAN 2ND TEST DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS
The series win is also a welcome result for Root personally after a difficult summer with the bat. He is averaging 29.44 after nine innings, well below his career Test average of 50.38, and has been dismissed lbw seven times, including twice in the Lord’s Test.
However, the former England captain remains confident that a big score is around the corner.
“I’ve always been quite good at understanding and eventually problem-solving,” Root said. “I’ll continue to keep working hard.
“I might have been lbw a few times, but lots of those have been umpire’s call. If they go the other way, it might not be as much of a talking point.
“We’ve also seen the ball move more than it ever has. So there has to be a sense of calm and realism around things. I know I’m a good player, and I’d like to think there’s a big score around the corner.”
Root also defended England’s batters after another difficult outing at Lord’s, describing the pitch as “naughty” while pointing towards the Dukes balls as another factor in the challenging batting conditions.
He said the balls appeared to have a different lacquer and were causing more damage to bats, while also leaving a bigger impact on the pitch.
“I think they’ve been very different this year,” Root said. “I think there’s a different lacquer to them. I don’t know, I’ve not got evidence on that – you probably need to ask Dukes – but I think there’s lacquer on the seam.
“As a batter, when you practise, they’re cracking your bats more frequently. And they seem a lot firmer.
“I think they’re affecting the wickets as well. I think they’re denting more. If they dent the wicket it’s going to seam off the dents as well, it’s going to move more. It’s been challenging.”
Root acknowledged that difficult conditions are part of the challenge of Test cricket, particularly when overcast weather, rain and movement off the pitch combine.
“Sometimes you do come across summers where it’s the perfect storm: you get overcast conditions, you get a bit of rain to contend with, the balls are slightly different,” he said. “But that’s part of the challenge of Test cricket, being able to adapt.”
Pakistan pacer Mohammad Abbas admitted that the team was disappointed with its performance but felt there had been signs of improvement compared with the first Test.
“We were much better in this match than in the first Test,” Abbas said. “You can see that as time passes we are getting used to the conditions and everything is getting better.
“As a team, we aren’t doing well. But we are working on that. The next match will be in Birmingham, and hopefully victory will come.”
– Ends
