Ashes 2019: Joe Root dismisses concerns that England captaincy is affecting his batting
Skipper Joe Root has dismissed suggestions that captaincy is affecting his batting ahead of England's bid to level the Ashes series at the Kia Oval.
Root, 28, averages 30.87 in the series before the fifth and final Test and has yet to score a hundred, while in contrast former Australia's Steve Smith has chalked up 671 runs at 134.20.
Before he took over from Alastair Cook in February 2017, Root averaged 52.80 with the bat, but that figure has fallen to 40.90 since - a duck in each of the last three Ashes Tests contributing to a 2-1 series deficit.
