Joe Root captains England at Trent Bridge for the first time tomorrow (Friday, 11am start) determined to lead from the front.
The Yorkshireman has fond memories of Nottingham, having scored a brilliant 130 as England regained the Ashes with an innings victory against Australia in 2015.
Now he is keen to inspire again in the second Investec Test against South Africa after choosing his preferred spot in the batting order when becoming skipper for this summer.
“I do think me batting at four is where I get the best out of myself, so I thought it was important that I made that decision first and foremost,” he said.
“That way, I can separate the captaincy element and give myself some time to get my head around batting and make sure that I’m going out there as a batsman and not as a captain.
“I look back at when I’ve felt at my best playing for England and it’s generally been batting at number four (which is where he scored his Trent Bridge century against Australia).”
Root takes control of a side which includes two vastly experienced seamers in Nottinghamshire’s Stuart Broad and England’s record Test wicket-taker James Anderson.
Between them, they have taken 87 wickets in five-day matches at Trent Bridge, and Root is delighted to have both men at his disposal.
“I look back at when I’ve felt at my best playing for England and it’s generally been batting at number four.”
He said: “I think they were great in terms of understanding when I made certain decisions in the first Test (at Lord’s), especially Jimmy when I took him off in that first innings after he’d bowled a couple of overs,” he said.
“They were very helpful in terms of plans and making sure that we had the right approach of how to take them on on that surface.
“It’s great to have so much experience in terms of our bowling that can help me out on occasions, but offer so much with their skill as well.”
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis is also mindful of the influence the England pacemen could have in the East Midlands.
Trent Bridge has been a happy hunting ground for the hosts in the past, having won four out of their last five Tests in Nottingham.
“We know with Trent Bridge that it's conditioned for the swing and seam bowlers, but I do believe that we’ve got a quality seam attack as well,” he said.
“With guys like Jimmy (Anderson) and (Stuart) Broad, they just consistently chip away at you all day, so it’s going to require a lot of application in this game.
“But I’ve never been a guy that gets too focused on past results. It’s about getting out there, seeing what the pitch offers you and reacting to that.”
*************
*************
It’s jolly convenient to receive latest news, ticket information and behind the scenes exploits direct to your inbox - and rest assured we’ll never pass on your information to others.