'Right stuff' Root delights Cook

Alastair Cook hailed Joe Root's "character" as he did his best to keep a lid on expectations of a 5-0 Ashes rout after England's crushing 347 run-win over Australia in the second Test at Lord's.
Yesterday's victory, achieved with more than a day to spare, left Ashes-holders England 2-0 up in the five-match series after their 14-run win in the first Test at Trent Bridge and on the cusp of retaining the urn, which will be theirs again should they win the third Test at Old Trafford starting on August 1.
Sunday's success was a personal triumph for Root, still only 22-years-old and appearing in just his eighth Test.

The Yorkshire opener's second innings 180 put England in a position of complete control.
It was Root's second century in three Tests but first opening the innings after his maiden Test ton of 104 against New Zealand made as a middle-order batsman at his Headingley home ground in May.
Part-time off-spinner Root then took two wickets for one run in 11 balls on Sunday to dismiss Australia captain Michael Clarke and Usman Khawaja after both batsmen had made fifties.

During the course of his century, a textbook display of how to open the innings in a Test match, man-of-the-match Root became the first batsman to make 1,000 first-class runs this English season.

Asked if he'd been surprised by Root's innings, which indicated a maturity beyond his years, England captain Cook -- who as a 21-year-old made a hundred on his Test debut against India in Nagpur in 2006 -- said: "To be honest, not with his batting.
"We've seen over his very short international career what an outstanding player he is.
"He's got the right character. It's a lot about technique but he has the right character to succeed at Test cricket.