Series lost, but England have plenty to play for in St Lucia, says Joe Root

"There is plenty to play for in this game, especially off the back of our two previous performances," the England captain said on Friday. "There is an Ashes around the corner and it is an opportunity for those guys to show how good they are and put their hand up and put in some proper performances."

Despite a poor performance in the Caribbean, the season wasn't all bad for England. They secured a thrilling 4-1 win against India at home, and followed it up with a fine 3-0 win in Sri Lanka. "We came away this winter trying to do things differently and find ways of winning away from home," Root told BBC Sport.

"We had great success in Sri Lanka, and it's not quite materialised here. Whether that be down to selection or how poorly we've played in parts, you have to see it for what it is and how you can best move that forward."

England have named paceman Mark Wood, who last featured in a Test in May 2018, in the 12-member squad for the final Test after he impressed for England Lions against Pakistan. Wood will likely replace Sam Curran, the 20-year-old all-rounder.

But it is in the batting department that England could really do with some improvement. Only once in four innings have they managed to score in excess of 200 in the Caribbean, their paltry 77 in the first Test being the nadir.

"It's very easy to spend loads of time on individual aspects [of batting] but you have to be very honest with yourself and where you can get better," said Root. "I think a lot of it comes down to a mental approach individually with the bat, and I think that clarity coming into this game is really important."