Lord’s always plays a regular part of any English season. But not like it has this season.

Contained within its two men’s Tests have been three landmark moments – none of which have come on the hallowed turf.

It was here in March, in the ECB boardroom, that chief executive Richard Gould and managing director Rob Key summarised their review into a 4-1 Ashes loss. Key among the points were an acknowledgement of unprofessional behavior on that tour and greater consequence.

It was from here in June that Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson sprinted into a Sunday night out after the first Test against New Zealand. Both were subsequently stood down from the second Test. Stokes would retire from international cricket at the end of the series, three weeks later.

Root’s public addressing of the situation ahead of the second Test against Pakistan came 24 hours ahead of Wednesday’ scheduled captain’s press conference. Though visibly “hacked off” in front of the watching world, it was behind closed doors on Tuesday morning that the Yorkshireman saved his unfiltered anger.

There was a reminder of what it should mean to play for England, the conduct not just expected but required. A dressing down that everyone hopes is the first step to a necessary cultural reset.

Perhaps most stark was Root’s own reminder to the group that he may only have two years left in the dressing room. As much as that was geared towards wanting to leave the team in a better place, it would have served as a reminder to the rest that there is only so much time left for these players to lean on Root’s greatness.

“Root has been around the England dressing room for plenty of years now. He knows what it takes to be the top professional and I think we [have] just got to do the best we can moving forward.”

Like all the scandals afflicting this particular England team, much of the remedy amounts to simple common sense. But it was hard not to empathise with Tongue, as it would have been for anyone in England’s camp stepping into media engagements following the weekend’s events in Derby.

As vice-captain, Harry Brook would have been an ideal candidate but, well, you know…this all began with him. Brook set the wheels in motion with his Wellington night out when he was struck by a bouncer, an event that ultimately saw him overlooked for the captaincy, both as Stokes’ stand-in and permanent replacement.

Tongue was also involved in that Wellington incident, along with Jacob Bethell. The Nottinghamshire seamer was the only one of the trio who did not receive a punishment. Unlike Brook and Bethell, he was not part of the ODI squad on the eve of the concluding match of that New Zealand tour.

The 28-year old’s reaction since has been impressive, with 34 dismissals across seven Tests. That includes 18 against Australia, leaving England ruing only selecting him for the final three Ashes Tests.

He has since made his ODI and T20I debut under Brook and white-ball coach Brendon McCullum. A successful Hundred campaign with Manchester Super Giants saw him finish joint-top on 14 dismissals in a winning campaign. For those scorched and looking for a route to redemption, Tongue’s professionalism and hard work to emerge as England’s most valuable quick is a handy blueprint to follow.

“I just tried to move on from that situation really, and focus on the cricket,” Tongue said. “It’s an absolute privilege to play for England and especially walking out and thousands of people watching you. I want to put in as many performances as I can for England and win as many games for England as well.”

Again, hardly rocket science, especially the “privilege” of playing for your country. It’s a statement Tongue leant on more than once during a brief nine-minute exchange with the media.

For what it is worth, it is something Tongue mentioned way back in March, during Nottinghamshire’s media day ahead of the domestic season. By then, Stokes and McCullum were not only still captain and coach of the Test side but expected to see things through to the end of the 2027 summer. Neither have made it to the second series of this summer.

Tongue, meanwhile, is flying. He shares the lead in the wicket-taker charts with Ollie Robinson. Entering his 14th cap with England likely to remain unchanged, he might also get to experience something new – a Test series win.

It is a surprising statistic for a player who debuted in 2023, though largely down to injury ruling Tongue out of the 2024 summer when England picked off West Indies and Sri Lanka.

A first for him would be England’s first since December 2024 away to New Zealand and a welcome step forward on the pitch after the latest setback off it.