Joe Root Leads England at Lord's
Joe Root leads England against Pakistan at Lord's this week.
Joe Root is the new England cricket captain.
He is captain after Ben Stokes.
England played Pakistan at Headingley. England won.
Now the team plays at Lord's. Root has changed some things in the team.
He does not stand at first slip now. He stands at mid-off, near his bowlers.
Pakistan have their captain Babar Azam again. He was ill with a hand injury.
If England win this week, it will be their first series win since 2024.
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Root Takes Charge of England Before Lord's Test
England's captain has made small changes to the team before the Lord's Test against Pakistan.
Joe Root is England's cricket captain again. He took the job after Ben Stokes, who was captain for a long time and was the biggest name in the team.
England won their first Test under Root at Headingley, beating Pakistan inside three days. But the win was very one-sided, so Root did not get many chances to show his ideas on the field.
Root has already changed some things. He does not field at first slip any more; he fields at mid-off, closer to his bowlers. On the first morning at Headingley, he took Jofra Archer out of the attack after only two overs.
Fast bowler Josh Tongue said it is "very chilled out there" with Root as captain. Root also spoke to the media at Lord's about the Brydon Carse problem, and people said his words were calm and honest.
Pakistan are stronger now because their captain, Babar Azam, is back after a hand injury. They have won their last two Tests at Lord's. If England win this week, it will be their first series win since 2024.
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Root Begins Second Spell as England Captain at Lord's
England's new captain has made small changes to the side before the Lord's Test against Pakistan.
Joe Root has begun his second period as England's Test captain, taking over from Ben Stokes, who was for years the central figure in the team both on and off the field. England are only a little more than a week into the post-Stokes era, but there is already no doubt about who is in charge.
Root's first match back in the job was a comfortable one. England beat Pakistan at Headingley by an innings, and the game was over inside three days. Because the victory was so one-sided, Root had few chances to show what kind of on-field captain he will be this time. His best act was to win the toss, and Ollie Robinson took a wicket with the first ball of the match.
Small changes have already been noticed. Stokes liked to name his team two days before a Test, but that practice has gone for now, and England are not expected to confirm their side until the toss. Root has also moved from first slip to mid-off, which puts him closer to his bowlers, and at Headingley he removed Jofra Archer from the attack after only two overs.
Asked about the difference between the two captains, fast bowler Josh Tongue said: "It's very chilled out there." Root, who has more runs and more hundreds at Lord's than any other player, said leadership meant more than results. "When you have the privilege of being a leader within a team, you want to build something bigger than just winning," he said. "I feel like I didn't do that very well first time around."
Pakistan are strengthened by the return of captain Babar Azam from a hand injury, and they have won their last two Tests at Lord's. A win for England this week would give them their first series victory since 2024.
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