England's Joe Root enjoying 'most fun' time of his career as 'epic opportunities' await against India and Australia

Leading run-scorer, most wins as captain, Chandler Bing impersonator – Joe Root has crammed a lot into his England Test career, with the promise of much more to come.

The batter’s chief role over the next eight months will be to keep churning out the runs as England aim to beat India at home – that series starts on Friday, live on Sky Sports – and then do what they have not done since 2010/11: win The Ashes in Australia.

“You can only be excited. These are the series you play for. The opportunities in front of us are epic,” Root, 34, told Sky Sports commentator and former team-mate Stuart Broad ahead of the five-match contest against India.

“You know The Ashes is coming and you will be asked about it. People will be trying to relate stuff in the India series to that but you have a job to do against a brilliant team.

“You look at India’s progression as a team across all formats and they have all bases covered – great seam attack, talented batters and a very strong spin attack.

“They are going to compete anywhere in the world but our record at home makes for a fantastic series. We will go into it with confidence but also with a huge amount of respect for what they will bring.”

Root debuted for England in 2012 and during his early days was handed a suit measured to fit the hulking 6ft 7in seamer Chris Tremlett. That’s where his reference to Chandler Bing – Matthew Perry’s Friends character who wore oversized clothing – comes in.

That “tiny little kid”, to use Root’s phrase, is now fifth on the list of all-time Test match run-scorers but could conceivably be in second spot by the end of the India series, considering he is just 372 runs behind Australian great Ricky Ponting’s haul of 13,378.

Root: It felt weird after end of my captaincy

Of the Yorkshireman’s current tally of 13,006 runs, 3,117 of those have come in the three years and 36 Tests since he was replaced as captain by Ben Stokes. Root has averaged 56.67 during what he classes as the most enjoyable period of his career.

“Ben did so much for me as my vice-captain, now it’s my turn to give a bit back to him,” he said.

“It was difficult and weird coming back into the team after being leader. I didn’t want to get in Ben’s way or step on his toes but I wanted him to know I was there to support him.

“I knew a big part of that was scoring runs. I wanted to make sure I could affect games with the bat and clearly if I was following his lead as a former captain it sends a strong message to anyone coming into the team or not as established as myself.

“It has become the most fun time of my career. Playing the way we play, the environment that has been created. The job Ben and [head coach] Brendon [McCullum] have done has been fabulous and so much fun has come with it.

“It might not always get reported how it actually is – I don’t think Bazball is the right way to describe it. It has clearly been a big change and is different to how a lot of teams play but there is a lot more method to it than is probably perceived.”

‘Playing so many games in Covid wasn’t fair on the group’

Root’s record as England captain reads 27 wins, 26 defeats and 11 draws in 64 matches between 2017 and 2022, although the end of his tenure was tough.

Just one victory was achieved in his final 17 Tests as skipper as the team contended with the bubbles of the Covid-19 pandemic and priority often given to the white-ball side. A 4-0 hammering in Australia followed by a 1-0 loss in the West Indies ended his reign.

Asked how he reflects on his captaincy, Root said: “I would change Covid. The fact we played as many games as we did in those environments, I don’t think was fair on the group. We were playing to keep the lights on and win games of cricket.

“But I wouldn’t change too much. I am very proud we won in South Africa, twice in Sri Lanka and some big games at home as well. I captained in some of the most exciting games we have seen in a long time. I am very proud of what we achieved in that period.”

Root is refusing to look too far ahead – “I think it’s a dangerous thing, a bit like setting goals. You are setting yourself up for disappointment” – although he cannot help having one eye on The Ashes, which begins at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 21.

“It’s the first time we could go to Australia for a while with a barrage of pace [bowling] and test them in a slightly different way to previously. But all the stars have to align, everyone has to stay fit.”

‘I think how lucky I am to play for England’

A first Ashes hundred away from home is surely on Root’s bucket list but he insists his focus is on “soaking in the good times” and all that representing his country has to offer.

“I just want to enjoy playing, remember that raw feeling of being 10 years old or younger – watching my dad play or being in the garage or garden with my brother.

“I’m not saying sticks in the ground with a taped-up tennis ball pretending you are at the MCG or Lord’s but waking up, opening the curtains and praying it’s not raining so you can play that day and trying to harness those feelings.

“I think how lucky I am to play for England. You play at amazing venues around the world experiencing different cultures and everything else the sport has to offer – friendships, opportunities.

“Trying to keep a broad mind on those things is more of a motivator than trying to plan too far ahead. Soak in and enjoy the good times.”

Watch England’s five-match series at home to India live on Sky Sports Cricket or stream with NOW. The first Test at Headingley starts on Friday with build-up from 10am and the first ball at 11am.

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