Root has been dismissed nine times during England's Test summer, with seven of those coming LBW. Four were umpire's call, however, leaving the 35-year-old reluctant to read too much into the trend. He has scored 265 runs at an average of 29.44 this summer, including 31.33 in four innings against Pakistan.
"I'd have loved to have scored more runs," Root said after England's 194-run win at Lord's on Sunday. "It's been difficult, but when you're winning games it's important to see things for what they are."
Root suggested the current Dukes balls appear harder and have a more pronounced seam, potentially helping bowlers extract greater movement from pitches. He also said the balls seemed to be leaving deeper marks on both bats and the pitch, which could cause subsequent deliveries to deviate more sharply.
"I think the balls have been very different this year. I think there's a different lacquer to them," Root said, while acknowledging that he had no concrete evidence to support the theory.
Dukes, however, have denied making any changes to their manufacturing process.
Root was dismissed LBW by New Zealand's Nathan Smith earlier this summer before Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali accounted for him in the ongoing Pakistan series. Despite the recent struggles, the England batter remains confident he can find a solution.
"I've always been quite good at understanding, being level and eventually problem-solving," he said.
England's victory at Lord's sealed their first Test series win since December 2024.
They will face Pakistan in the third Test at Edgbaston from September 9, with Root hoping to rediscover his best form and end the growing discussion surrounding his LBW dismissals. (Agencies)