New England Test captain Ben Stokes has confirmed that Joe Root will be moving back down the order to number four this summer, having batted at number three in the recent series defeat to the West Indies.
Although Root did score two hundreds at three in the Caribbean, Stokes believes the Yorkshireman is best suited at four. Root has scored 14 of his 25 Test hundreds at four and averages over 50, whereas he averages below 40 at three.
Speaking last week, Stokes said: "I've already spoken with him. I've asked him to go back to four and I'm going to be at six. Wherever Joe bats he gets runs, but his best position is at four.
