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Joe Root's job as England captain saved by Oval win against Australia, says Monty Panesar

Joe Root
Image: Joe Root has been England Test captain since February 2017

Former Test spinner Monty Panesar thinks England’s victory against Australia at The Oval may have rescued Joe Root from the sack.

England captain Root took the catch to dismiss last man Josh Hazlewood and clinch a 135-run victory in the fifth and final Test, ensuring that his side drew the series 2-2.

But Panesar - who played 50 Tests between 2006 and 2013 - feels Root might well have lost the captaincy if Australia had managed to condemn their hosts to a series defeat.

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Former England bowler Monty Panesar says Joe Root's captaincy was saved by England's victory in the fifth Ashes Test which levelled the series 2-2

"I think this week has saved him," Panesar told Sky Sports News. "If Australia had won 3-1, I think the ECB would have been having that polite conversation with him and they'd possibly ask him to step down.

"He's been batting well, but is it good for the team that he captains England as well as batting? I think his form has slightly deteriorated as the series has gone on.

"But he turned it around this week - he dug in deep and managed to show he wants to be the person to lead England. The winter tours are going to be big for him.

England captain Joe Root reacts after being dismissed for 0 during day two of the 3rd Test
Image: Joe Root was out for a duck in the third Ashes Test on his home ground at Headingley

"He needs to do well against New Zealand and South Africa and if he's really determined to lead England, he needs to show the kind of cricket we've seen this week at The Oval.

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"He's obviously still very passionate and he wants to take that challenge on. We'll see over the winter months if he's able to keep his batting form as we know Joe Root can and captain the team well.

"I'm sure over the next six months the ECB will assess how he performs as a captain and a batsman and then they'll make a decision."

Monty Panesar
Image: Monty Panesar says Root might have lost his job as Test captain in the event of a series defeat to Australia

Root, who succeeded Alastair Cook as Test captain in February 2017, was third in the England batting averages during the Ashes series, scoring 325 runs in 10 innings.

The drawn series was a swansong for England head coach Trevor Bayliss, who had announced his departure prior to a summer in which the national men's team won their first 50-over World Cup.

The ECB have yet to name a successor to the Australian, but Panesar would prefer to see them retain the present structure of specialist coaches working under an overall supremo.

England head coach Trevor Bayliss during a nets session at Lord's
Image: Trevor Bayliss has stood down as England head coach

"I think they need to have one head coach and then the assistants," he added. "Ideally I'd like them to be English coaches because the ECB have invested heavily in their own coaching programmes and it's nice to see a stepping stone into the national team.

"The likes of Paul Collingwood and Marcus Trescothick have been involved in the England set-up over the summer, Chris Silverwood is a great fast bowling coach and they've also got Saqlain Mushtaq.

"All four of them have done really well. Do they just go for someone foreign? Or if the next best coach for English cricket is an Englishman, then they should definitely recruit as soon as possible."

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