‘Sensible, grown-up way’: Joe Root’s warning to England after sealing Pakistan series

England captain Joe Root (AP Photo) Joe Root has urged England to enjoy their Test series triumph over Pakistan without letting the celebrations spill over into unnecessary controversy.England wrapped up a 2-0 lead in the three-match series with a 194-run victory at Lord’s to secure their first multi-match Test series victory since 2024. With one match remaining, Root acknowledged the achievement but urged his teammates to celebrate responsibly.“It’s important that we don’t talk about it, absolutely,” Root said during the post-match media interaction at Lord’s. “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 and grown-up way.“It’s been a really good start, I don’t know what you want to call it, this new team.

Root wary of off-field controversy

Root’s comments came as England celebrated another dominant performance against Pakistan. The win gave them an unassailable lead in the series, but the former captain wanted to ensure they remained focused on what the team had achieved on the field.His call for “sensible” celebrations also comes with England having been involved in off-field controversies over celebrations in the past.The immediate challenge for Root, however, is personal.

Root searches for answers with a bat

The English batsman has had an unusually difficult summer. He averages 29.44 in nine innings, well below his career average of 50.38.His struggles were particularly noticeable at Lord’s where he was dismissed lbw in both innings. This took his tally of lbw dismissals this summer to seven.However, Root insisted that he was not too worried about it and believes that he will be able to solve the problem.“I’ve always been pretty good at understanding and eventually solving problems,” he said. “I’ll keep working hard. I might have been lbw a couple of times but a lot of them were umpires’ calls – if they go the other way it might not matter as much.”“We’ve also seen the ball move more than ever before. So there’s got to be a calmness 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.”

Basic questions of this year’s Dukes ball

Root also expressed concerns about the behavior of the ball Dukes used this summer, suggesting it felt different from previous batches.While admitting he has no evidence of a change in production, Root believes the balls look harder and may have a different varnish.“I think they’ve been very different this year,” Root said. “I think they have a different varnish. I don’t know, I don’t have proof of that—you’ll have to ask Dukes, I guess—but I think there’s varnish on the seam.”“Like a batter, when you practice, they hit your bats more often. And they seem a lot stronger.”The England batsman also hinted that the harder balls could have an impact on the pitch itself, potentially creating more movement for the seamers.“I think they affect the goals as well. I think they dent more. If they dent the goal, it also comes off the dent, it moves more,” he said.England now have the luxury of heading into the final Test with the series already won. Root will focus on finding his best form with the bat and putting up a big score which he believes is just around the corner.