LONDON: A relieved Joe Root said the England Test captaincy had taken a toll on his personal health after he guided his side to a memorable five-wicket win against New Zealand on Sunday in his first match since relinquishing the role. The 31-year-old stepped down as skipper in the aftermath of England’s 1-0 series defeat in the Caribbean in March, which came on the heels of a disastrous 4-0 loss against Australia in the Ashes. “It had become a very unhealthy relationship, to be honest – the captaincy and me,” Root told reporters after his unbeaten 115 helped England chase down 277 at Lord’s and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. “It started to really take a bad toll on my own personal health. I couldn’t leave it at the ground any more; it was coming home. It wasn’t fair on my family, on people close to me, and it wasn’t fair on myself either.” Root, who was been replaced by Ben Stokes, led England in 64 Tests, winning 27 and losing 26 during his five-year tenure. The Yorkshire batsman said he was keen to help Stokes succeed in his new role and make England a test force again.