Joe Root, who has been enjoying his rich vein of form, has stated that it is his time to pay back everything to Ben Stokes, who has done so much for him. England are all geared up to clash against India in the five-match Test series.

"Ben did so much for me as my vice-captain, now it's my turn to give a bit back to him. It was difficult and weird coming back into the team after being leader. I didn't want to get in Ben's way or step on his toes, but I wanted him to know I was there to support him," Root told Sky Sports.

"I knew a big part of that was scoring runs. I wanted to make sure I could affect games with the bat, and clearly, if I was following his lead as a former captain, it sends a strong message to anyone coming into the team or not as established as myself," he added.