text: It is always revealing to see how players respond to adversity and Joe Root has reacted magnificently to being left out of last year’s Sydney Test. I can remember players left out when I played having a moan in the dressing room and spouting nonsense about how they did not fit in. What Root has done is have a look at himself, stay quiet and then produce hundred after hundred to ensure he will not be left out in a hurry again. Joe Root showed plenty of grit, as well as talent, in yet another big innings for England . Root has bounced back from a difficult Ashes Tour to prove himself as a quality Test batsman . Around four years ago I remember sitting next to Graham Thorpe on a bus journey and him quietly telling me that the young English batsman to watch out for was Joe Root. He was barely heard of then. How right Thorpe was, for what Root has done since Sydney speaks volumes about the character of the bloke. Do not be fooled by the boyish grin and cheeky demeanour. He is as steely as they come, a fierce competitor who loves playing for England. He tells himself every day that he must enjoy the game but that takes nothing away from the quality of his magnificent performances. His last five hundreds have been in excess of 149, four of them have been unbeaten and in the way he batted with Jimmy Anderson yesterday he showed he has a very good cricket brain. And he hasn’t messed with his form either. It would be easy in his current run to chip up a catch on 40 or give it away as soon as he reaches a hundred, as Marlon Samuels did in the first innings here. I love the way Root goes big. Before his partner was foolishly run out, Root showed maturity to bat with the tail on Friday in Grenada . The young batsman has been superb in his middle-order role, and should not be moved up the batting card . Part of me sees Root as a natural No 3, where England tried him in Australia. He looks like a batsman who could come in and regain the initiative if you lose an early wicket. But why move him when he is going so well at five? Keep him there. Eventually he will captain England and five is a good place to captain from. The only problem in seeing him as a future England captain is that do we want to put our best player in charge when his runs are so important? Look at Alastair Cook and just about every England captain in history. It wears them all down in the end and when the day eventually comes that England need a new leader they will have to think about that. His fabulous form should be enough to see Root left to do what he does best - score runs for England . Alastair Cook (right) has shown the danger of making your best player the captain of the team . I have enjoyed the battle between Ben Stokes and Samuels in this Test and I like the way the Durham lad goes about his cricket. The fact he gave Mitchell Johnson a send-off when he got him out in Australia speaks volumes for him and he’ll never take a backward step. I generally don’t like send-offs. Once a batsman is out you have done your job so why point to the dressing room or swear at someone? But I enjoyed what Samuels did on the third evening. If you are going to do it, make it humorous and non-threatening like that salute. Stokes will have to take it. If you dish it out you have to take it back. Stokes shouldn’t go too far, though. I saw Peter Moores take him to one side for a chat before play yesterday and that might have been to say: ‘Be careful. Don’t lose your passion but don’t do anything stupid.’
target: Joe Root has been terrific to bounce back from a difficult time in Australia .
  Root's 182* in the first innings in Grenada showed he is a steely competitor .
  He looks a natural No 3, but England shouldn't move him from current spot .
  The captaincy always wears players down, and it isn't his time yet .
  Ben Stokes is right to be passionate, but needs to keep his cool as well .