Joe Root may have been right about the pitch but that wasn’t the only thing that was sub-standard during this one-off Test that saw England eventually shake off their World Cup hangover to beat Ireland with relative ease at Lord’s.

By Chris Stocks

Fine job: Jack Leach reaches his half century

Breakthrough: Will Porterfield is caught by Jonny Bairstow off the bowling of Chris Woakes . Inset: Stuart Broad of England celebrates taking the wicket of Andy McBrine
PICTURE: Getty Images

There were just 10 days between the one-day team’s momentous...