Joe Root believes England's Test team is in a better place than at the start of a tumultuous summer after securing a 3-0 series win over Pakistan. Root regained the captaincy in June after Ben Stokes was dropped for breaking a team curfew, and took the role full-time after Stokes retired and Brendon Mc Cullum was sacked. Amid personnel changes, Root has brought a calming presence, with the side appearing more mature and professional despite an incident involving Brydon Carse outside a nightclub in Derby before the second Test.

Players like Dan Lawrence, Jordan Cox, Harry Brook, and Jamie Smith have impressed, though the pace attack struggled against Pakistan's lower order in Birmingham. Root emphasized the team's cultural development off the field as most significant, calling it a constant work in progress. Former captain Michael Vaughan agreed, praising the talent but noting England have not won a five-Test series since 2017, which remains the ultimate benchmark.