England kick off their Ashes series on Thursday (August 1) at Edgbaston against Australia.
Captain Root will be aiming to win back the Ashes urn after a dire performance last year in Australia, which saw England lose the series 4-0.
Fans will be buoyed by the knowledge that Australia haven’t won the Ashes in England in 18 years, but it will once again be a close competition, as the Aussies are just one place below England in the current ICC Men’s Test team rankings.
If Root and England are to win back the coveted urn this summer, they’ll need to make a crucial decision on England’s opening batsmen and seam bowlers.
Opening batsmen
Finding the right pairing to open for England’s Test squad has been tiresome over the past five years.
Former captain Alastair Cook was the only mainstay spanning multiple Test series, with cameos from Hasseb Hameed, Keaton Jennings, Adam Lyth, James Vince and Nick Compton.
Rory Burns is almost nailed on to be one of England’s opening batsmen for the Ashes, but that second spot is still up for grabs.
After his stunning World Cup performance, Jason Roy is expected to make the jump to red ball cricket.
As England’s juggernaut in one-day matches, Root won’t be banking on Roy staying in the outfield for days on end.
But he may do something that no other opening batsmen has managed to do over the past few years; score some runs.
Jofra Archer
Archer has become the poster boy for fast bowling over the summer, after his terrific World Cup for England.
He kept his nerve at the most vital moment, when he bowled for New Zealand’s Super Over in the World Cup final.
Historically England have always been very handy with seam bowlers – James Anderson is a fine example of the very best we’ve ever produced.
Archer is already a superb bowler – even at just 24 years old. He must be named in the Ashes squad this summer to give him a chance to learn from Anderson, as it’s unlikely Jimmy will feature in another series.
Back-up bowler
Even with Archer in the squad, England could be worryingly light on fast bowlers this summer.
Anderson picked up an injury earlier this month in Lancashire’s County Championship match against Durham, and is a doubt for the opening Ashes fixture.
Mark Wood is also recovering from a side strain injury that he picked up during the World Cup final, and is only likely to feature at the back end of the series.
With that in mind, Root should be keeping a keen eye on a back-up fast bowler to step into their shoes, should they be required.
Somerset’s Lewis Gregory has earned his first England call-up for the Ireland Test match on Wednesday (July 24) after impressing in the County Championship, taking 44 wickets from eight matches.
He’s likely to be on the shortlist for Root, although Essex star Jamie Porter is also knocking on the door, having consistently performed for the Eagles over the past three years. He’s currently taken 38 wickets from nine matches in the County Championship.