'Been a great ride with you my friend'- Ben Stokes after Joe Root steps down as England Test captain

Joe Root decided to step down as England’s Test captain on April 15 (Friday) due to the team’s disappointing performances for more than a year. It all started from their tour of India in February last year where they lost the four-match Test series 1-3 despite having drawn first blood in the series opener. The loss also played a huge role in ending their chances to make the finals of the inaugural edition of the ICC World Test Championship.

Just hours after England’s batting mainstay relinquished the red-ball captaincy, Root’s teammate and good friend Ben Stokes came forward and thanked him for leading the team well on the field. At the same time, Stokes also gave a special mention to his 2019 World Cup-winning teammate for his sacrifices and hard work.

Thank you for your sacrifices and hard work: Ben Stokes

Taking to his official Instagram handle, the southpaw gave a shout-out to Joe Root for being a good leader for the Three Lions in the traditional format of the game. He wrote, “Been a great ride with you my friend. Watching one of my great mates lead us all out on to the field was a privilege. You have given everything to English cricket and we all want to say thank you for your sacrifices and hard work.”

While Joe Root had a dream year in 2021 on the 22 yards as far as his individual performances are concerned, the team failed collectively on the field as they could only manage a solitary win from their last 17 Tests. In fact, the last time England won a red-ball series was a 2-0 whitewash against Sri Lanka at the island nation in January 2021.

Recently, the Joe Root-led side suffered a 0-1 defeat in West Indies. After the first two matches ended in a stalemate, the Three Lions were completely outplayed in the series-deciding third and final Test match. As of now, England are trailing India 1-2 in the five-match home Test series and the final game is scheduled to take place in July this year.