Root is one victory away from overtaking Michael Vaughan as England's most successful captain © Getty
"I just want my friend to be OK."

Whenever you speak to England players or coaches, past or present, about what Joe Root is really like as a captain, one theme emerges more strongly than any other. The people Root works with believe he cares about them. Not just superficially. They say he really, really does care about people. It was no surprise then that Root's first words when asked about Ben Stokes' decision to take an indefinite break from cricket were that he wanted his friend to feel better.

Stokes and Root are close friends as well as England Test captain and vice-captain. Last year, when Root was on paternity leave and Stokes captained the first Test against West Indies, Root left his friend a handwritten note on his England blazer telling him to do things his way. Their bond is strong and so it was natural that Stokes would seek out Root to discuss his wellbeing before the decision was made by the all-rounder to step away from the game.

"I had a conversation with Ben and that's when I found out," Root said. "The call will stay between the two of us but for me it was hard to see a friend like that. More than anything I just want him to be okay and what was said between us two stays between us two. I think throughout this it's important for people to respect his privacy to give him the best chance to deal with this in his own way. I just want him to be okay and I'll be there for him as much as he wants.

"Anyone who knows Ben, he always puts other people in front of himself and first. Now is an opportunity for him to put himself first, to take time to look after himself and get to a good place again. Hopefully that can be sooner rather than later. Cricket has to be a secondary thought, a long way down the line, and he should take as much time as he needs. He's got my full support on that and he's been assured he's got the full support of the ECB. And certainly, he's got the whole team's support. More than anything, we just want Ben to be OK. He's got everyone behind him."

That sort of leadership, compassionate and caring, is why Root is highly regarded by his team but this run of ten Tests - five against India and then five in the Ashes - could well define his on-field captaincy. He is one victory away from overtaking Michael Vaughan as England's most successful captain but performances have fluctuated markedly during his tenure and recent results have been disappointing. It may be that Root decides to give up the job at the end of the tour to Australia regardless of what happens over the next few months. Beating a fine Indian team at home and then Australia away would be quite some way to go.

"It could do," Root said when asked if his time as captain could be defined by the next two series. "Ultimately tomorrow could define things, the day after could. I'm sure people will have opinions of me as a captain and my career but as a player all you can do is look after right now and perform so that's all I'll continue to do. Give my best for this team and try to help us win as many Tests as I can."

In the absence of Stokes, the pressure on Root to deliver with the bat against India will be even more acute. His three successive hundreds in the first three Tests of the winter helped England to three victories but when his returns dropped off in the remaining games in Chennai and Ahmedabad, his team struggled. He failed to make much impact against New Zealand either. Although Root needs more help from those around him in the order, it is unlikely that England can beat Virat Kohli's team without their captain having a strong series.

And while Stokes' situation puts sport into its proper perspective, his absence also leaves England's captain with a dilemma over the composition of his side for the opening Test at Trent Bridge. Chris Woakes is also unavailable with a heel injury which complicates matters even further - he is the closest player England have to Stokes - and Jofra Archer and Olly Stone are also absent, Archer for the first two Tests at least and Stone for the entire series. Root admitted that he and Chris Silverwood have a lot to think about over the next two days. There is a lot at stake.

Those absences have left England's squad weaker than it was meant to be for this series. The rest and rotation policy implemented during the winter's series in Sri Lanka and India, which prioritised white-ball cricket at the expense of the Test team, was enacted in part to allow England to select their best team for this series against India and then the Ashes. For a number of reasons, that plan has not worked out as they would have wanted and they head into the series under-strength yet again.

They are also under pressure. England have lost four of their last five Tests and the manner of those defeats, with technically and tactically deficient batting the main cause, was troubling. Since the three-day drubbing at Edgbaston against New Zealand, England's batsmen have mainly been on a white-ball diet as the domestic season has been given over to the T20 Blast and The Hundred aside from a couple of rounds of Championship action in the first half if July.

Even then, some of the players like Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence were pulled out of red-ball county matches to be part of the makeshift squad for the ODI series against Pakistan. That was an unprecedented situation but England's players have hardly had the best preparation for a series against the second best Test team in the world. India arguably have had a better lead-in with a two week red-ball training camp in Durham including a three-day warm-up game.

Not that Root can change any of that now. He just has to get on preparing his team as best he can with the circumstances and personnel he has available. That is one aspect of good leadership. As Root's comments about Stokes show, caring for those in your command is another. Leading from the front is crucial as well. More than anything, England desperately need Root to do that against India over the next six weeks.