Peter Hayter assesses the mood of the England captain while facing the press amid scrutiny of his role

On the ball? Underfire England captain Joe Root, left, played down frank training ground discussions with bowler Stuart Broad, right, as ‘football talk’
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The proof of Joe Root’s batting will be in the scoring, of course. But anyone listening to his spirited performance in front of Her Majesty’s Press on the eve of the second Test against Pakistan at Headingley would have been reassured by his clear determination not to permit the pressure ...