England vs Sri Lanka: Joe Root deputises and offers a glimpse into future

England’s official vice-captain was forced to take the reigns after Alastair Cook's injury

Fate forced Root to fill in for the stricken Cook (Getty)

A sharp crack, a muffled yell of pain, and hey presto we were granted a glimpse into England’s future with Joe Root as the team’s captain.

Root, England’s official vice-captain, assumed control after Cook took a nasty blow to his left knee from Kusal Perera after the left-hander cut a short ball from Moeen Ali. Cook was shipped off for an x-ray at the nearby Wellington hospital with Root left to ape some of the Iron Duke’s other qualities from second slip.

Sri Lanka were 218 for six when Cook, a near constant presence in the England side for the past 10 years, took his leave. That left Root the task of taking the last four wickets by marshalling his bowlers and getting the field right

Captaincy usually reflects a player’s personality and Root is a shrewd problem solver, at least when he bats. Not that there were many problems being offered by Sri Lanka, only whether England's lead would be above or below 150. In the end it was 138 but that was bye the bye given the series has already been won 2-0.

Root has captained at Lord’s before, when Yorkshire visited two years ago to play Middlesex. Indeed, Andrew Gale, Yorkshire’s appointed captain, dropped himself to allow Root to play, but the experience was not a happy one for the young tyro. With Yorkshire looking the only winner at the end of day three, they somehow lost the game as the home side chased down 472, the third highest fourth innings score to win in Championship history.

If that was the antithesis of the Midas touch, he stuck with the basics in the field yesterday - Steve Finn and Moeen Ali with the old ball, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad with the second new one - and got his just rewards.

There were no funky field settings and once Broad had bowled Rangana Herath off the bottom-edge, it all fell rather favourably for him with Sri Lanka losing their next three wickets for 12 runs.

Root fell to Pradeep for just 4 in England's second innings (Getty)

His celebrations were well-judged too, a quick handshake or pat on the back. Certainly n othing over the top, which is as you’d expect from the leader of a team that has already won the series.

Some captains like to lead from the front others by their rhetoric. Only those present can be certain of Root’s address before England’s second innings, or even whether Cook delivered it. But with the number one captain now forced to come in lower down the order, only the second time he has not opened since 2006, Nick Compton was promoted to take the new ball.

Root, or Cook, could have recited Martin Luther King’s most inspirational speeches to their troubled charge and not eased a single nerve. This was a career-defining innings for Compton and that career, following his dismissal for 19, now appears to reside in county cricket.

His demise brought in Root, the acting captain, who got off the mark with a streaky inside edge off Shaminda Eranga. If the thought that this might be his day crossed his mind at that point, it was quickly extinguished when Nuwan Pradeep knocked back his off-stump with one that nipped down the Lord’s slope and kept a tad low.

Not that it grubbed as much as Root tried to make out from his constant rubber-necking back at the replay screen. He likes to play off the back foot as much as possible until his innings is established. This was too full for that though it did add to the impression that he’d been undone by an unplayable daisy cutter. So much for captaincy by example.

At least he played a shot at it unlike James Vince who shouldered arms to the next ball from Pradeep and lost his off-stump. Seeing his team slump to 50 for three was probably not what Root had in mind for his first meaningful stint as England captain, but you cannot always pick your moment.

In 1988, I captained England for two sessions against the West Indies at the Oval after Graham Gooch split his finger badly enough to require stitches. It was the final day of the match and we lost by eight wickets, an outcome that should not prevail for Root following his two sessions at the helm here.