'What other people think of me as a captain is irrelevant'

You are never not under the spotlight as a captain of a successful international cricket team. The likes of India's Virat Kohli, Australia's Tim Paine can vouch for it. Include England's Joe Root in the list as well; who has indirectly hit back at the country's former captain Michael Vaughan.

Earlier, Vaughan commented that Root will only be termed as a great captain should he win The Ashes against Australia. Root, however, dodged that bouncer by saying that he doesn't focus on what others think of him as a captain.

While speaking to the media ahead of the start of the fourth Test match, Root admitted that England captains are judged differently when it comes to Ashes but also maintained that he is completely focused on the ongoing five-match series against India.

"As an England captain, you're judged slightly on how you perform in Ashes cricket," said Root. "More than anything I feel we need to win this series first. This is a huge series for us. And then we will turn our attention to Australia.

"It is something that everyone wants to do, getting to Australia and winning as a player or as a captain. What other people think of me as a captain is irrelevant. My job is to give everything to the team, and if that is not good enough for some people, it is something I have done, and I will be proud of that," explained Root.

Joe Root has been in the form of his life this season. He has already smashed six centuries so far in 2021 and after three Tests against India, he heads the top-scorers chart with 507 runs at a staggering average of 126.75.

Moreover, after getting it wrong with his tactics in the second Test at Lord's, which saw India win by 151 runs to take a 1-0 lead, he led his side to an even more emphatic win at Headingley (by an inning and 76 runs) to draw level 1-1.