LORD’S — Winning a Test series against opposition as poor as Pakistan is no cause for wild celebration.
Yet this was still an important step for an England team who had not achieved one for close to two years.
It means Joe Root’s second spell as captain has got off to the perfect start. Yet more important than victory in this second Test is that England seem to have stumbled across a winning formula in terms of the balance of their team.
This was always going to be the big challenge after the shock retirement of Root’s predecessor, Ben Stokes, in June.
The lack of a quality all-rounder is a problem that affects so many teams. But the solution England have found – bolstering the batting, eschewing a frontline spinner and picking a four-pronged seam attack – is one that can serve them well heading into next summer’s era-defining home Ashes series.
