• Second-innings 69 was ‘worth double’, according to Joe Root • Mark Wood keen to build on his successes at No10 and with the ball

Alastair Cook is in seemingly relaxed mood about his return to the rank and file of the England team, although his new life only truly hit home during the victory against South Africa at Lord’s last week when one of his previous subordinates, Ben Stokes, moved him in the field.

After four years at the Test tiller, Cook handed over to Joe Root and the new vice‑captain, Stokes, at the start of the year, allowing this next generation to freshen up a stagnating team while setting his own sights on swelling his stash of runs as England’s all-time leading scorer.

Looking forward to the second Investec Test with South Africa starting on Friday at Trent Bridge – a ground where he is yet to make the honours board – Cook admitted there was the odd pang of unfamiliarity during the series-opening 211-run win against the tourists. But he also gave a ringing endorsement of his successor’s first outing, not least the 190 that Root peeled off in the first innings and eclipsed Cook’s own 173 against Bangladesh in 2010 as the highest score by an England captain in his maiden Test in charge.

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“It probably won’t be the last record of mine he breaks,” Cook said. “I thought he was really calm all week. He will get better and better and those messages will become clearer and clearer. It was a very impressive first week from him as a captain and leader.

“He would have made different decisions [to me] at certain times but I thought he handled it brilliantly. Clearly if you get a score like he did that settles a lot of talk about the captaincy.”

Much has been made of Root being able to tap his predecessor’s experience of 59 Tests but at Lord’s Cook said there was little discernible difference to their previous conversations in the slip cordon as captain and vice-captain – only that the buck now stops with the younger man.

Cook, 32, said: “It was just the other way round, with me throwing a few ideas at him. You don’t take offence if he doesn’t do them. The shock was when Ben Stokes told me to move positions. That was when I realised that life was different. He told me to swap with Jimmy Anderson because he thought Jimmy would be better in that position. So not only did I have Jimmy gloating, but Stokes telling me where to move.”

Asked if he missed the job, Cook replied: “No, I am happy with my decision. The only bit was seeing Rooty walk down the stairs in his blazer for the toss and realising I will never do that again. But I have done my bit. I gave everything to the role and I move on from it. Let’s get behind Joe. Hopefully this will be the last time I am asked about settling back into the ranks.”

Cook is in rich form this summer, with six centuries for Essex against the red and white ball. Though his first Test innings after six months was brief – a 13-ball three – the new ball was typically blunted second time round with a near-four-hour 69 that, after 19 wickets fell on the fourth and what proved to be final day, was described as being “worth double” by Root.

While Cook has never been one for social media, it prompted his bat sponsors to tweet the hashtag #CatchinSachin, in reference to the 4,793 runs he needs to pass Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record of 15,921. “That is a long way off,” he said. “You just do not know what happens in sport. Hopefully you are still talking to me in a couple of years’ time.

“I don’t set targets: certainly not publicly and not many privately. The goal has not changed. I went back to Essex at the start of the season and wanted to help in the background and score the runs of a senior player. I don’t see my role changing now.”

Cook has been part of a Test top order that has been three down for 55 runs or fewer in a third of their innings over the past three years and admitted that despite the challenge of facing a new Dukes ball in English conditions, the middle-to-lower order has bailed them out too often.

The England tail wagged in both innings at Lord’s, with Stuart Broad’s first half-century in three years bolstering their initial total before Mark Wood put on 45 for the ninth wicket on the fourth morning with Jonny Bairstow, thrashing a handy 28 to stem a collapse.

“When I first got into the Durham team Jon Lewis, the coach at the time, said I was the best No10 since Pelé,” joked Wood, speaking before England trained at Trent Bridge – the ground where he claimed the wicket that regained the Ashes in 2015.

For the 27-year-old fast bowler the true pride came in taking his first Test wicket since October 2015 and his performance with the ball overall. Now fully fit, Wood is desperate to hold his place – not least with Chris Woakes and Jake Ball taking part in the session as they continue to recover from respective side and knee injuries.

Wood, whose nine Tests have never seen three strung together, said: “I have to keep these guys out of the team and that’s the challenge. For once it might not be down to my body, it will be form.”