Captain Root is at his best when he's in the middle, away from the onerous commitments of an England skipper

SIMON HUGHES: The list of responsibilities for a captain is long. That’s why they are paid the big bucks. The best escape from many of these tasks is to be preoccupied out in the middle making runs

Joe Root has scored a third of England’s Test runs this calendar year.

His tally of 1,112 runs in 10 Tests – with an average of 61 – includes two double-hundreds and a 186 and he will be particularly happy with his conversion rate from 50 to 100 (four centuries, one fifty), almost reversing his overall ratio (21 centuries, 50 fifties.) The question is, though, how does he manage to shoulder this burden, especially when he is captain as well?

The answer is that being captain subconsciously helps his batting. He is not the first England captain, and he won’t be the last, to discover your job as captain is far easier if you’re making runs. For two reasons. One is obvious, the other isn’t.

Firstly, if you’re scoring fifties and hundreds you’re contributing, so you can relax. Your authority and respect within the team is intact, there’s no one sniping behind your back that you are not pulling your weight, and you’re not constantly commandeering the batting coach to work on technical flaws. You can sleep at night.

The second reason is in some ways even more significant. A captain is the most in-demand person in the team – for discussions and consultations and appearances, as well as various duties and obligations and future planning meetings. The list of responsibilities is long and onerous. That’s why they are paid the big bucks. The best escape from many of these tasks is to be preoccupied out in the middle making runs. You’re untouchable out there.

^{Joe Root ended the day unbeaten on 48}

The great basketballer Michael Jordan was one of the most sought-after sportsmen on the planet. Every selector and coach and media outlet and sponsor and official and global representative and struggling teammate wanted time with him. The only place he said he was at peace was on the basketball court. That’s where he felt he could be himself. Where he was unreachable.

Root will be the same. Batting is what he loves doing most. He dreams about it. Batting is his natural habitat. He came in on hat-trick, Haseeb Hameed having just been bowled first ball in his comeback innings.

Is there anything worse in sport than this experience, by the way? The long walk out to the middle at Lord’s to the far end, essaying a few extravagant blocks on the way, the taking of a guard, the sizing up of the field, the squint at the distant, fiery bowler – Mohammed Siraj – forty yards away, the settling of the beating heart, the swallow to moisten the dry throat, then the attempted defensive stroke to the enquiring delivery – down the wrong line – the nanosecond of silence and then the fateful death rattle followed by the long walk back.

There is nothing more lonely or more isolating. I was sat with ex- England rugby player Matt Dawson when it happened. The only thing remotely comparable in rugby, he reckoned, was if you came on as a substitute, immediately committed a penalty-conceding tackle and were sent off.

^{Rory Burns provided valuable support for his captain after two early wickets}

But back to Root. England’s innings was reeling. Siraj was on a roll, his gander up, the Indians in the crowd were excited. Siraj came tearing in, wanged another one down but Root was smoothly, calmly, resolutely behind it, stunning it into the covers and leaning on his bat. The next ball, an awkward lifter in at the ribs, he whipped adeptly to fine leg for a single.

He had time to play, defended soundly, left adroitly, steered fuller balls into gaps, clipped leg stump deliveries fluently to the deep square leg boundary with lovely balance and timing.

He survived a couple of close lbw shouts, but playing down the line of leg stump he knew he was safe. He laughed the anxious moments off. He played flawlessly. He looked as if he was enjoying himself. He was. It’s a lot better than sitting in that dressing room being at everyone’s beck and call. Expect more of the same tomorrow.