Joe Root eager to hit the ground running with his new-look England

Improving England’s Test form after a poor 2016 will be imperative for Root ahead of this winter’s Ashes in Australia

Joe Root said he was 'excited' to get going with England (Getty)

When Joe Root leads England against South Africa at Lord’s tomorrow it will have been 144 days since he was appointed Test captain.

The staging of the Champions Trophy has meant a rather belated start to the Test summer this year but this four-match series against opponents who have not lost in England since 1998 promises much for Root, his team and cricket lovers everywhere.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “It has been a very long wait for this week to finally come around and to get the squad together has been fantastic. I just want to get out there.”

England have not played a Test since their 4-0 hammering in India last winter – a gap of more than six months.

It was a result that saw Alastair Cook resign as captain after four years in the job.

Root’s appointment offers a fresh start for a team who lost eight Tests in 2016.

He certainly cut a confident figure at Lord’s today as he announced England’s XI almost a full 24 hours before the toss.

Root confirmed Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson, who made his debut in England’s previous Test in Chennai last December, will play ahead of Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer.

Root offers the chance for a fresh England start (Getty)

The Yorkshireman branded the team “exciting”.

But the inclusion of the utilitarian Dawson and a recall for Gary Ballance takes the edge of that notion somewhat.

This is very much Root’s team, with the pick of his Yorkshire team-mate Ballance almost entirely at the captain’s behest.

Ballance endured a torrid winter, scoring 24 runs in two Tests against Bangladesh before he was dragged around India like an unwanted mascot.

Ballance has been handed another chance with England thanks to Root (Getty)

However, after averaging more than 100 for Yorkshire in the County Championship this season, the Zimbabwean-born batsman has a third – and surely final – chance to show he can cut it at Test level.

Asked if this was his squad, Root said: “Yes. We had a selection meeting and I am very happy with the squad we came away with.

“In terms of Gary I look at how he has performed this year and the amount of runs he has scored - he has been phenomenal. When he has scored them has generally been when the side has been up against it.

“He is that sort of character and a lot of people asked questions about the last time he played for England but I look at his game now, as do the other selectors, and he is a completely different player. He is desperate to prove a point and score some runs in this series.”

England during a training session ahead of the first Test (Getty)

Playing Ballance at No3 looks like one of the riskiest batting selection calls by England since Ravi Bopara was used in that position against Australia in the 2009 home Ashes.

Yet it is Root’s insistence that he wants to bat at four that has led to it.

“I have had a long time to think about a few things and that is the decision I have made,” he said. “I think it is where I play my best cricket and where I have scored my best runs.”

Improving England’s Test form after a poor 2016 will be imperative for Root ahead of this winter’s Ashes in Australia.

“I wouldn’t have taken the job if I didn’t think I was capable of taking the side forward,” he said. “We had a tough year last year in Test cricket but I think the squad is very settled, has learned a lot from that and is ready to put that right this year.”

Root has faith in his new-look team (Getty)

Root will be helped in his new role by Ben Stokes, his combative vice-captain and the team’s heartbeat. “He’s always been a bit of an attack dog,” said Root. “I see him as a feisty character who is desperate to do well and naturally he’s very good at setting the tone and setting the example.

“People look up to him, naturally, by the way he goes about his cricket. Hopefully we’ll get a good blend together as captain and vice-captain. That excites me.”

South Africa are unbeaten in Lord’s Tests since their readmission to world sport in 1991 and despite missing captain Faf Du Plessis, not yet returned from the birth of his first child back home, they will pose a significant threat.

Debutant opener Heino Kuhn and Theunis De Bruyn will be the perceived weak links in the batting line-up. But opener Dean Elgar, who will stand in as captain for Du Plessis, believes now is a good time to play England.

“I see it as a good opportunity for us to try make a dent,” he said. “They have their own insecurities within their team. They’re under new leadership, have a few new faces in their batting line-up, a few injury concerns.”

The tourists also possess the most exciting young fast bowler in the world in Kagiso Rabada, who took 13 wickets in his last Test against England at Centurion in January 2016.

“I’m glad he’s in my team,” said Elgar. “I’m sure he’ll be up for it. He hasn’t played a lot of cricket of late so I’m sure his hunger is through the roof.”

Teams

England: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Joe Root (captain), Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Mark Wood.

South Africa (probable): Dean Elgar (captain), Heino Kuhn, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Temba Bavuma, Theunis De Bruyn, Quinton De Kock (wicketkeeper), Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj