‘The sky’s the limit for this team,’ says Joe Root after series victory

Joe Root believes England now have a template of how to win the Ashes in Australia next year following their comprehensive 3-1 series victory in South Africa.

England sealed only their second away series success in four years with a 191-run win in the fourth and final Test in Johannesburg. Mark Wood, a fast bowler whose career-best match haul of nine for 100 suggests he is entering a new phase of a career that has previously been ravaged by injuries, was the man of the match at the Wanderers. The thought of him teaming up with Jofra Archer in the opening Ashes Test at Brisbane in November next year is a tantalising prospect for Root.

But the overall dominance of England’s performances in this series, especially with top-order runs helping to accumulate big totals as England won three Tests back-to-back to recover from 1-0 down, offers hope that this group of players can succeed when the Ashes start in 22 months’ time.

Related: Mark Wood takes four as England thrash South Africa and claim 3-1 series win

Asked whether this success in South Africa gave his players a template of how to win in Australia, the captain said: “There’s still a huge amount of Test cricket to be played until then. It does give us confidence and it gives us knowledge on how to perform on wickets that might be slightly similar. We’ve got to keep looking to get better and keep developing.

“We feel like the sky’s the limit for this team so we’ve got to keep looking to improve.

“We’ve done extremely well in the last three games but in the last three years we’ve not been consistent enough. We’re very open about that.

“We go to Sri Lanka next [for two Tests in March] and then there’s six big games at home [next summer against West Indies and Pakistan].

“It’s a great opportunity to string a number of good performances together. We’ll try not to look too far ahead but we’ve got a great template to work around and it’s nice to see it falling into place,” said Root, who led England on their last Ashes tour in the winter of 2017-18 and saw his team thrashed 4-0.

He admits things may have been very different had Wood and Archer been available. “It’s something you feel that you need in those conditions.”

Ben Stokes, named man of the series in South Africa, was also missing for that Ashes tour after he was suspended by the England & Wales Cricket Board in the aftermath of the incident in Bristol in September 2017 that saw him forced to successfully defend a charge of affray in court the following summer.

England’s vice-captain, also believes they now have a nucleus of players who can succeed in the next Ashes series.

“Yes,” he said. “Obviously we’re building for that series. They both bring X-factor to the bowling attack and are both express pace.

“To have them in the same attack, we saw in the World Cup it was like a competition to see who could bowl the fastest ball.

“It brings the best out of both of them. If they are both fit and raring to go when we go out for the Ashes, it would be very, very exciting to see what would happen in Australia.”

Following a golden summer during which he inspired England to World Cup victory and produced a truly sensational innings to help win a thrilling Headingley Ashes Test by one wicket, Stokes scored 318 runs, took 10 wickets and 12 catches in this series.

The continuation of that form is remarkable given the problems he has faced away from cricket, with his father, Ged, taken into critical condition before Christmas and spending the entirety of the series in a Johannesburg hospital.

“The most important thing is that we’re walking away with a series win,” said Stokes.

“But it’s been a rollercoaster with everything that has gone on. I hope my old man is in his hospital bed watching this with a big smile on his face.”

Stokes also reflected on his altercation with a fan on day one of this final Test, when he responded to a derogatory reference to the singer Ed Sheeran by responding: “Come and say it to me outside the ground you fucking four-eyed cunt.”

The 28-year-old Durham all-rounder was fined 15% of his match fee and one demerit point after pleading guilty to an audible obscenity.

“It’s done and dusted,” Stokes said. “Grown man comes 50 yards to say something – let’s just say we are both immature.”