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Joe Root has been appointed England's Test captain again after Ben Stokes retired, embarking on his second term at the helm. Now having led England in more Tests than any other captain, Root returns with immense experience, but can he better his previous record as the side's captain? It is a big question.

The 35-year-old, who came in to take charge of England temporarily this summer after Stokes was banned for a Test, has been given the job by newly-appointed England Test head coach Stephen Fleming.

His first stint in charge had moments of magic, but the odd rough period that challenged his captaincy and form.

Root was appointed full-time England Test captain in 2017 after taking over from Alastair Cook. Root's captaincy got off to a flying start; he scored 190 in his first series as captain as England beat South Africa 3-1.

However, the problems grew harder quickly, particularly in the series against Australia-The Ashes.

Joe Root's Test captaincy record:

• Tests as captain: 65
• Wins: 27
• Losses: 27
• Draws: 11
• Win percentage: 41.53%

His record against Australia was still his greatest disappointment. Overall, in three Ashes series as captain, England won just two Tests and lost each series.

The Covid-19 period was a tough time as well. England had to compete in a busy international calendar with tight restrictions, which affected their results. By the time Root resigned in 2022, England had only won one of their last 17 Test games.

Later, Root confessed to having an "obsession" with the captaincy, acknowledging the psychological toll taken upon the captain at the time.

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While continuing to be one of the world's leading batters, Root's numbers with the bat were slightly down during his captaincy of England,

• Batting average as captain: 46.70
• Batting average without captaincy: 53.34

Despite the gap, Root kept piling in the runs and proved to be England's most reliable batsman throughout his captaincy.

Ben Stokes has a more successful record as captain, winning over half his games as skipper with a win percentage of 54.54%. This makes him second among all England captains who have captained 15 or more Tests to Mike Brearley.

Now Root faces another chapter as a different challenge. England are in the early stages of a transition period following Stokes' retirement, with many batting positions up for grabs ahead of a significant Ashes series.

This time, however, Root is returning with the knowledge gained. He has an even better idea of the pressures of captaining England, and with Stephen Fleming expected to offer a novel perspective as head coach, we can hope that Root can do his utmost to help himself and the side flourish.

The question then remains whether his second phase will bring more success. This time it will be down to the results but also on how England will be able to pull themselves together in the course of the following years. For Root, this is a further chance to leave a mark in England's Test history.