After resigning as skipper in April last year, Root's initial returns with the bat were phenomenal, with three centuries in four matches.
What followed, however, was a run of seven Tests where he averaged just 18.50, with one score above 23, before his half-century in the second innings here broke the spell.
It is testament to the quality of Root that his barren run hardly registered with the press or the general public. This was not a player in crisis, just a person working out his game in the new image designed by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. It was, however, a run of form that played on the mind of Root himself.
Speaking shortly after England had wrapped up their 267-run victory over New Zealand, Root said: "If I'm being brutally honest, there was the initial relief of coming out of the captaincy. Now, I'm just trying to find out what my role is within this team.
Denne historien er fra February 20, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
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Denne historien er fra February 20, 2023-utgaven av Evening Standard.
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