Leading England out at Headingley will be special

Middlesex paceman Roland-Jones made his Test debut earlier this season against South Africa after Woakes was ruled out with a side strain suffered during England s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh at The Oval in June.

There is no doubt Woakes is in England’s strongest XI when we look ahead to that first Test against Australia at the Gabba in November.

And former England spinner Swann, a three-time Ashes victor, feels the likes of Mark Stoneman, Tom Westley and Dawid Malan could be severely under-cooked ahead of their first taste of an Australian tour. Root also equaled AB de Villiers en-route his 31st half-century.

Kemar Roach struck twice and Shannon Gabriel once as the West Indies, humiliated in the first test, offered hope that they can at least make a match of it.

But the England skipper has a simple message for three other players trying to stake their claim against the West Indies in the second Investec Test at Headingley.

Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow, who has rescued England from numerous collapses, fell for just two when Holder, leading by example, held an excellent low slip catch off Gabriel to leave the hosts 152 for six.

“The only message for those guys is to go out there and take this opportunity”, Root said yesterday.

He is hoping to return to worldwide cricket for a possible farewell to Test cricket.

“I’ve watched a lot of cricket over the years here and now to get the opportunity to lead England here is obviously very special”, said Root.

“But it’s a great chance for Chris to come back into the side and show his class like he did last time”, said the star batsman of Woakes, who has scored two fifties in his 17 Tests and taken 48 wickets at an average of under 30.

“He will be part of the team for the West Indies Tests”.

“A bit of a dry patch”, Root admitted.

Root’s conversation rate from fifties to hundreds has been much remarked on, and rightly so for someone aspiring to greatness, but he’d managed to quieten the chatter somewhat with his century at Edgbaston.

The visitors lost their last Test by a massive margin of an innings and 209 runs.

“I think it’s just having that mentality of being ruthless and at no point easing off the gas when we get into a position of strength”.

England now led the 3-Test series 1-0.

“If you get through those hard periods – if it’s a bit cloudy and it’s nipping or swinging – then it’s a fantastic place to bat”.