England captain Joe Root has expressed he is "not too concerned" about his recent batting form, despite a modest summer where he has passed 50 only twice. His average of 29.44 is his second-lowest in a home season during his 14-year international career.
The 35-year-old, England's all-time leading Test run-scorer, has been dismissed leg before wicket nine times in his past seven Tests, with seven of those occurring this summer. Root attributed this to the challenge faced by batters against the moving ball in the UK this summer and suggested a different technique by ball manufacturers Dukes.
Dukes, when contacted by the BBC, denied any alteration to their manufacturing process. Root, who has 14,208 Test runs, second only to Sachin Tendulkar, stated he has always found ways to solve problems in his long career.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan backed Root to overcome the issue, noting he has always managed to bounce back from past problems. England recently secured a series win over Pakistan with a 194-run victory in the second Test at Lord's, marking their first series win since 2024.
Root also addressed his squad about player conduct following an incident involving pace bowler Brydon Carse, urging them to celebrate their recent series win "sensibly" and in a "grown-up way."