Ashes 2019: Root Under No Pressure, Says England Coach Trevor Bayliss

England coach Trevor Bayliss has made it clear that captain Root is not under any pressure ahead of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia

Australia retaining the Ashes by taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series has raised 'questions' on Joe Root's abilities as a captain. However, England coach Trevor Bayliss has made it clear that captain Root is not under any pressure ahead of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia, starting Thursday. Bayliss has backed the batsman and said that there were no issues with his skipper. "He's not come under question from anyone making any decisions. He's under no pressure at all," Bayliss said. When it comes to batting, Root has averaged less than 31 in the series so far and speaking about the captain's form with the bat, Bayliss said: "Everyone goes through periods where they don't score as many runs as they'd like. "I think the Australian team have bowled pretty well to him, so we'll see how things go further down the line. From my point of view, he was our premier batter and the Australians always try and target the opposition captain. He's played well when he's got starts and I don't see too many problems," he added. Bayliss, who took England to World Cup glory in July this year, will head back to Australia after the series. "On one hand I am sad to be leaving. It's been a fantastic environment to work in, everyone has made me feel at home. From a cricket sense we've had a lot of good performances, the cherry on top the World Cup win," he concluded.