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Gareth Bland | |
This is the kind of classic game that is perhaps obvious that Joe Root’s revision of Sir Alastair Cook’s England Test century history should lead many commentators to turn to the Yorkshireman’s supposed Achilles’ heel at Test level: his record against Australia. In particular, where the skeptics are concerned, is Dore’s history of being born in Australia. A record total of 40.46 against Australia in 34 Tests includes 14 matches Down Under where Root has not scored a century with an average of 35.68. Root’s record against other Test-playing nations – India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies – is impressive, and a testament to his undoubted team.
Appearing on Joe Root’s record against Australia is a natural occurrence in a major Ashes tournament. However, compared to the record of one of his fellow members of the “The Big Four” club in Kane Williamson, one flaw in Root’s record seems smaller than it might seem.
Root’s latest review comes as part of a year-long campaign ahead of another Anglo-Australian clash, starting in November 2025. Australia’s Darren Lehmann works at left-arm and – to no one’s surprise – Ian Chappell, a man short. of cricketing thought, weighed on Root. Lehmann has said that Root should not be considered as the all-time great as he has not scored a Test ton in Australia and has also ranked the Yorkshireman below Williamson and Virat Kohli. Chapelli, meanwhile, praises the former England captain, saying “Root was born to run. He is a joy to watch, as he balances a strong approach with a desire to be at the top at every opportunity“.
Technically, however, Chappell saw flaws in Root’s equipment that could reflect his good reputation on Australian pitches, arguing “The most worrying statistic in Australia is the number of times he has been caught behind. The management has had a bonanza ten times when he hit the edge off Root in 27 innings. While they may argue that “you have to be able to name ’em”, it shows that they need to reassess the pace of the Australian extra.”
No centuries aside, it is worth noting that Root has never had a nine against the Australians. Compared to Kane Williamson, Root’s overall record against the Aussies is better – 40.46 compared to the New Zealander’s average of 36.95. Against India, Williamson’s record is the lowest, and his average of 37.86 over 20 runs is less than Root’s 58.03, while in head-to-head against each other’s country Root has a mean of 54.06 against Williamson 39.62 against England.
Against South Africa, the West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, the Kiwi has the Yorkshireman’s scoring edge. However, Williamson’s average of 62.82 against South Africa and 46.53 for the Englishman against the same opposition does not embarrass Root. Nor are direct comparisons against Pakistan (66.04 versus 49.34), Sri Lanka (74.02 versus 62.54), and West Indies (60.62 versus 56.03).
Where Williamson has a definite edge is in amassing two test hundreds against the Australians. As for Ian Chappell’s views on Root’s evolution in Australia, the New Zealander, on the other hand, is acknowledged to have a distinct approach, quite different from his peers. Avoiding an exaggerated hit on the forward push, Williamson’s early moves are solid but not as pronounced as his contemporaries. Also important is the ability to play the ball late.
Ricky Ponting observed that Williamson “it does not progress” and that “he plays football later than anyone else“. The former England captain, Nasser Hussain, while assessing Williamson’s skills, saw the wealth of movement, hand stopping and footwork that are the basis of his success. Advancing the theoretical “box” theory, Hussain said “Imagine you have a box around the height of your waist and the floor. If you put your hands outside the box you are playing the ball early. If you keep it in your box, you’re playing it late”.
Hands outside the re-imagined “box”, Hussain argued, increase the chances of following the ball outside the off-stump and getting chances to ‘save and slip. Hussain has no doubt that it is this connection that has contributed to Kane Williamson’s success. Perhaps Root’s own change in the Australian wickets would benefit and lend credence to Chappelli’s view that the England man should see the wickets bounce again.
What will be handed over the Ashes years to Joe Root is the way Ian Chappell described it. It’s a modern-day approach, one that starts from the ground up and is, at its core, a Yorkshire sod course that has produced some of the greatest batsmen in the history of the game. When Neville Cardus described Sir Leonard Hutton as a man who played with “order in his mind” may be describing Joe Root nearly 70 years later.
Stylistically Root’s Yorkshire cricketing line is evident in everything from the lightness of the bat handle to the leg spacing on the ground, while the balls of the feet resemble Sir Geoffrey Boycott himself. Alert, on the side, and able to move back and forth with an easy foot, Root shows the classics that go back to Hutton and Sutcliffe, even to Boycott, Bill Athey, and now Harry Brook, a technique that is familiar. of his hometown.
Watching the video of England’s Mike Gatting in Australia during their 1986/87 triumphant tour, the similarities between Athey and Root are striking. Indeed, Root’s gifts are in stark contrast to Athey’s little work, but Yorkshire’s essential stand-up, footwork, and space bear the stamp of the County White Rose.
As Williamson Root is very active in the gym and fitness shows a player who has grown up in the game of cricket. As such, the impressive classical streaks once associated with Root’s early English roots such as Hammond, May, Cowdrey, Dexter, and Gower may not be at the forefront of his music. In fact, to be clear, Root’s listeners will be surprised by the delivery of the track and repeat it in the background, all these strokes are difficult to imagine his predecessors trying, although the pioneering Dexter may have increased his shot.
Joe Root is England’s most modern player and the best player in the current game. The contrast between his overall record and his figures against Australia is noticeable, though not, say, like Ian Botham’s record against the West Indies and what he did against the rest. If the Yorkshireman takes what Ian Chappell is looking at this coming winter then perhaps his wait for a Test hundred against an old foe will be over. In a week in which Root and fellow Yorkshire man Harry Brook sit at the top of the men’s ICC Test rankings, his fans will be hoping that the current batsman still has a lot in the tank and, perhaps, a little more to prove.
