The 26-year-old Yorkshireman actually took the position back in February following the resignation of Alastair Cook at the start of the year in the wake of a difficult series in India.
But a scheduling quirk has left Root waiting almost five months for his first opportunity to lead his side in the longest form of the game.
Nevertheless, it was always an opportunity likely to come to him. For years, Root has seemed destined to make it to the very top.
Making his Test debut in India in 2012, aged just 21, the angelic-looking youngster quickly gained the respect of his contemporaries for his adept play of spin.
Then, in the 2013 Ashes, Root scored 180 in the second Test at Lord's and England went on to take the series 3-0.
But it was a different matter Down Under in the return. Root started the campaign batting at six but was then moved up the order to three when Jonathan Trott returned home with a stress-related illness.
Eventually, he was dropped altogether for the fifth Test - and thus became probably the clearest example of the selectors' muddled thinking throughout the nightmare tour.
Thankfully, Root recovered and, in the 2014 summer series, he scored an unbeaten 200 against Sri Lanka, though England's form continued to dip in a surprise 1-0 defeat.
Root - by contrast - went from strength to strength, and a sequence of six consecutive Test half centuries in 2015 meant he had swiftly become an integral part of the team.
Moreover, though having to mature after recently becoming a father for the first time, he possesses an infectiously effervescent personality.
It has been established that he is quite happy to play his part in dressing room pranks and it is thought that he might be more positive in his decision-making than the often cautious Cook.
But, inevitably, there have been words of caution from several of predecessors.
It is, after all, a more difficult job now than ever before with the sharp focus of social media adding to the traditional off-the-field corporate and media responsibilities.
On the field, former captain Michael Vaughan estimated he would sometimes make up to 150 decisions per day, whether it was "team changes, bowling changes, field changes", or even simply whether to opt for pace or spin.
And, eventually, Root must also still focus his attention on his own batting - and try to maintain, or get close to maintaining, his excellent current Test average of 52.80.
Who knows? If he really enjoys the responsibilities of the captaincy, there is always a chance that figure will improve still further, in the mode of Graham Gooch.
But, given the list of priorities outlined above, it is more realistic to expect a slight decline in the long run.
Such a consequence would be easily negated if a fresh Root captaincy brought greater confidence overall to England's fragile top order which has struggled now for quite some time.
Even ignoring the India tour, England - on home soil - found themselves, at various times last summer, dealing with scores of 83-5, 84-4, 120-5, 139-6, 110-5, and 128-5.
South Africa, naturally, will not be slow to prey on any further vulnerability in the English batting, as they look for a third series win in England since apartheid ended.
Indeed, it is somewhat curious that Root begins his adventure as skipper against the Proteas.
For, on each of their last three tours, the South Africans have been responsible for ending a captaincy reign with Nasser Hussain (2003), Vaughan (2008), and Andrew Strauss (2012) all stepping down.
Of course, it would take a cricketing disaster, almost beyond imagination, for Root to suffer the same fate.
Nevertheless, with only this difficult series of four Tests and then three Tests later in the summer against West Indies coming before the return of the Ashes this winter, Root could well do with gaining some early momentum.
That is if the Australians sort out their contract dispute and the Ashes series actually still goes ahead...
ENGLAND'S TEST MATCH SUMMER
| 6-10 July | (1) | ENGLAND 458 & 233 beat SOUTH AFRICA 361 & 119 by 211 runs | Lord's |
| 14-18 July | (2) | SOUTH AFRICA 335 & 343-9d beat ENGLAND 205 & 133 by 340 runs | Trent Bridge |
| 27-31 July | (3) | ENGLAND 353 & 313-8d beat SOUTH AFRICA 175 & 252 by 239 runs | The Oval |
| 4-8 August | (4) | ENGLAND 362 & 243 beat SOUTH AFRICA 226 & 202 by 177 runs | Old Trafford |
| ENGLAND beat SOUTH AFRICA 3-1 | |||
| 17-21 August | (1) | ENGLAND v WEST INDIES | Edgbaston |
| 25-29 August | (2) | ENGLAND v WEST INDIES | Headingley |
| 7-11 September | (3) | ENGLAND v WEST INDIES | Lord's |
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