Joe Root already plotting England’s Ashes revenge

With less than a year to go until England’s next visit Down Under, old rivals Australia are on his mind.

Root oversaw a chastening 4-0 defeat in 2017/18 and failed to reclaim the urn last summer, with a 2-2 draw on home soil coming immediately off the back of a triumphant World Cup campaign.

He would give anything to make it third time lucky and happily accepts planning is already under way despite the packed international schedule that England face between now and then.

Asked how much he had thought about the series, Root said: “Plenty. There’s no point hiding from it or trying to make it look like we’re not focused heavily on it, because we are.

“A lot of thought and planning has gone in. That doesn’t mean we’re not looking into what’s coming up and, while they’re not similar conditions, some of the challenges we’ll face this winter will stand us in good stead when it comes to walking out at The Gabba.

“Guys will be readying themselves for that, the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I feel we’re a side that’s getting better and that excites me more than anything else.”