How Root Earned Is Test Coronation In The Cauldron Of That T20 Calamity

It was a good opening day for the new captain says Peter Hayter, but it gets tougher from here on.

- Peter Hayter

Not that he seemed to have much doubt before hand but Andrew Strauss has nominated Joe Root’s innings in last year’s losing World T20 final as the evidence he needed to know for sure that the Yorkshireman had what it took to succeed Alastair Cook as England’s next Test captain.

Speaking in the players’ dining room at Headingley on the day Root was unveiled as their 80th skipper, the director of England cricket had been asked why, when the 79th rang to tell him enough was enough, he was so sure whom to call next.

And it turns out that, while the rest of the nation took another image from that April night at Eden Gardens, that of Ben Stokes on his knees after Carlos Brathwaite had hit the first four balls of the final over for six to win the game for West Indies, Strauss had also filed away Root’s 36-ball 54, with which he rebuilt the innings from 8-2 and 23-3 to what should have been a trophy-winning 155-9, for future reference.

For it showed him just how tough Root could be when the going got tough and tough does not come much tougher than what England and their new leader Root will face in the next 12 months in a Test programme schedule that begins with series against South Africa and West Indies and culminates, in case anyone wants reminding, with the mission to retain the Ashes Down Under this winter and to wipe out memories of their dire 5-0 thrashing there last time around.

“I just think what is interesting with all players is how they handle high pressure situations,” explained Strauss. “For me, I personally think one of the best innings Joe has played – and I know it’s not relevant in this context because it wasn’t in Test cricket – was the final of the World T20 and how well he was able to keep control of himself in a highly pressurised situation.