Joe Root will toss the coin at The Kia Oval on Wednesday, leading England in a Test for the 65th time and for the first time since Grenada in March 2022. He dug the navy blazer out of a garage cupboard last week, pockets still crammed with “about 30” old team-sheets. It still fits, even if the memories around it remain a tight squeeze.
England are 1-0 up against New Zealand and, with Ben Stokes unavailable after a breach of team curfew, the hierarchy reached for the safest pair of hands they know. Root accepted without fuss. The job once drained him but, at 35 and 143 Tests in, he says he now feels “refreshed and a little bit wiser”.
Key facts first
• Second Test v New Zealand starts Wednesday, The Kia Oval
• Root’s 65th Test as captain, first since quitting in 2022
• Stokes sits out, future as captain under discussion
• England lead series 1-0 after Lord’s win
Why Root walked away
“I found I ended up being so consumed with everything,” Root said on Tuesday. “I wasn’t the person I wanted to be and it was the right time to step away. Not just because our performances weren’t where they needed to be. It was a great opportunity for a fresh start for English cricket and was absolutely the right decision.”
Those words echo what Stokes admitted during an in-house chat in April. He spoke of being “completely and utterly consumed” by the Ashes build-up, unable to “switch off for half an hour”, and of going to “pretty extreme” places during the 4-1 defeat in Australia. At the time it sounded like commitment; with hindsight it reads more like strain.
Inside the shed
Root’s blazer spent four years folded in a dark corner of the garage, not hanging proudly in a wardrobe but hidden away “like a cursed board-game”, as one dressing-room wag put it. The symbolism is hard to miss. Captaincy wore him down across pandemic bubbles, a white-ball-first schedule and two heavy Ashes defeats. His record—27 wins, 26 defeats—was respectable, yet the personal cost proved heavier.
Stokes at a crossroads
Whether Stokes returns as skipper remains open. The ECB insists no decision is imminent, but senior figures privately admit they are weighing longevity against short-term gain. A recurring knee problem, plus the off-field episode that led to this week’s absence, complicates matters. Root’s willingness to stand in now does not guarantee he will want the role beyond the Oval, though team-mates sense he would do it for the rest of the summer if asked.
Expert view
Former selector Angus Fraser sees logic in the short-term move. “Root is England’s most experienced player, he knows the rhythms of leadership and, crucially, he still commands a place purely on batting,” Fraser tells us. “It buys everyone time.”
Stat corner (light on jargon)
• Root has 27 Test centuries; only Alastair Cook’s 33 top that for England.
• As captain he averaged 46.4 with the bat, marginally above his overall 44.
• England have lost just one of their last eight home series under any captain.
The mood around camp
Players talk about continuity more than upheaval. One senior bowler summed it up: “Joe’s voice hasn’t changed. He still talks cricket every minute of the day. We just call him skipper again and crack on.”
There is acknowledgement, too, of Stokes’ impact. England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style—which Root has embraced from the ranks—was set in motion by the all-rounder. Should a handover become permanent, balancing that intent with Root’s more measured instincts will be delicate work.
Looking ahead
New Zealand were competitive for stretches at Lord’s, and their seamers traditionally relish The Oval. Root knows the task is immediate: win the match and, by extension, the series. Longer-term captaincy chat can wait, even if everyone keeps half an eye on it.
Imperfect finish, like the blazer
The blazer still carries the creases of four years in the garage. Root, though, wears them lightly now. England will hope that, for at least five days, the old garment is good for one more shift.
