Captain Cook impressed by star batsman Joe Root

England captain Alastair Cook has never seen a player improve as much in a short space of time as star batsman Joe Root.  The 24-year-old Yorkshireman, regarded as a captain in waiting, has scored England's only two hundreds of the ongoing Ashes series to help put his side an unbeatable 3-1 up against Australia heading into Thursday's fifth and final Test at The Oval.

Such has been Root's form during the past two months, he has displaced Australia's Steven Smith at the top of the International Cricket Council's Test batting rankings, with England paceman Stuart Broad now his main rival for man-of-the-series honours in the Ashes. "He's improved leaps and bounds," opening 

batsman Cook said Wednesday of Root, who has often come to the crease after a top-order collapse. 

"I've never seen a player improve like <g data-gr-id="13">that.</g>" Cook said Root's style was similar to that of New Zealand rising star Kane Williamson, who has also played for Yorkshire.