Joe Root admits he is still searching for his role under England captain Stokes

In the wash-up from England’s commanding victory in the first Test against New Zealand came an admission from Joe Root that he is still finding his role under the captaincy of Ben Stokes - and it may yet take some time.

Root’s transition to life back in the ranks appeared seamless last summer when he peeled off match-defining centuries at Lord’s, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, marrying his typical frictionless method with a dash of innovation. At the time Root said he wanted to “pay a bit back” to Stokes for his unyielding support as vice-captain.

But reflecting on his 57 on the third day at Bay Oval last week - just a second half-century in 11 innings since the last of those hundreds - the 32-year-old opened up about a minor identity crisis amid England’s resurgence.

Root said: “I think for me, I’ve just got to find out what sits best for me and it’s going to take some time. I think if I’m being brutally honest, there was the initial relief of coming out of the captaincy and now I’m just trying to find out what my role is within this team.

“It sounds silly having the experience I have, but you want to be involved and want to be a part of it, you want to heavily contribute and I felt like I’ve not been able to do that the last few Test matches. It’s nice in a small way to have a little bit in that second innings runs-wise and performance-wise.”

As the fulcrum of the World Cup-winning 50-over side in 2019, and so often quick out the traps en route to over 10,000 Test runs, Root’s uncertainty is something of a curio. And it’s not like Stokes is channeling JK Simmons in Whiplash, hurling chairs and shouting “not my tempo” at such a thoroughbred.

Nevertheless, there has been a clear push for quick scoring under Stokes, with