FOR close to a decade, England’s success in the Test arena has been built on discipline and patience with both bat and ball.

It’s a modus operandi that has suited the personality and skill set of record run-scorer and captain Alastair Cook — a hugely successful skipper but also a man averse to taking risks.

But with Cook stepping down as captain, and batting prodigy Joe Root the man most likely to take over, don’t expect England to stick to those safety-first tactics in Australia during next summer’s Ashes.

More likely you’ll be confronted by a captain who likes to take “the bull by the horns”, according to champion Australian quick Jason Gillespie.

Gillespie spent five years mentoring Root during his tenure as Yorkshire’s coach in County cricket, watching him grow from a skinny 20-year-old with no international experience to one of the world’s most feared batsmen.

Few are better placed to judge Root’s leadership merits and Gillespie is confident the young star has what it takes to thrive as England’s captain.

By the time Gillespie left Yorkshire, Root was England’s vice-captain, most important player and ranked among the top five Test batsman in the world, with 4005 runs to his name at an average 54.86 across 46 matches.

“One thing Joe wouldn’t do from my own experiences is let things drift along as captain,” Gillespie told foxsports.com.au.

“He’ll be trying to make things happen, trying to create those moments.

“I think he’ll take it upon himself to try to create something if there’s a lull in the game rather than just let the game go. He’ll try to take the bull by the horns.”

Although Root is a firm favourite to take the reins, there remain some doubts over his credentials due to a lack of experience as a captain at any level.

But Gillespie said it would be a mistake to prejudge the young star, and is adamant next summer’s Ashes will not daunt him.

“He came through the ranks fairly quickly, so he just hasn’t had the opportunity to captain regularly,” Gillespie said.

“You see everyone talking about inexperience and this and that. There are a lot of captains around in their mid-to-late 20s so I don’t see that being an issue.

“I genuinely think Joe is up to that task, I don’t see any reason why he won’t be successful.

“He’ll take the expectation in his stride and I think he’ll be absolutely fine.”

He’ll also have one of the game’s most experienced leaders to lean on too.

“The biggest asset Joe will have is Alastair Cook in the dressing room, having him in his corner as a support will be a really positive thing for Joe.”

Gillespie played a big role in Joe Root’s development at Yorkshire. Source: Getty Images

If Root becomes captain he will be the fourth and final member of cricket’s modern batting dynasty to take the reins of his national side.

Steve Smith and Virat Kohli have both excelled since being given the extra responsibility.

The Australian averages 73.73 in Test cricket as captain compared to 51.83 as a foot soldier, while Kohli’s average grows from 41.13 to 63.96 as Test skipper.

Kane Williamson’s Test average is also significantly better as captain (55.00) than player (49.23).

Would captaincy bring out similar improvement in Root?

“I don’t see why not,” said Gillespie, who sees it as a privilege to watch these four young stars blossom.

“You’ve just mentioned three wonderful, wonderful cricketers and they’re each becoming wonderful leaders of their country.

“We’re blessed to see four of the genuine greats of the game, these four incredible batsmen going around at the same time.

“In the 1980s we got to watch four great all-rounders in Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee and Ian Botham. This reminds me of that.

“That was four great all-rounders for four different in countries in 80s. In the 2010s we’ve got these four great batsmen, all plying their trades for their countries.”