Joe Root and the elusive Ashes century

Joe Root and father Matt

Such is the nature of top-class sport that it is perhaps predictable that Joe Root's review of Sir Alastair Cook's England record for Test centuries should lead many commentators to focus on the supposed heel of The Yorkshireman's Achilles heel at Test level: his record against Australia. Specifically, as far as the doubters are concerned, it is the disc of the master born in Dore in Australia itself. An overall record of 40.46 against Australia over 34 Tests includes 14 matches Down Under where Root is yet to score a century and averages 35.68. Root's record against the other established Test-playing nations (India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies) is enviable and statistical proof of his undoubted class.

The focus on Joe Root's record against Australia is a natural by-product of an intense Ashes rivalry. However, when compared to the record of one of his 'The Big Four' club mates in Kane Williamson, the one blemish on Root's career looks less marked than it might otherwise appear.

Root's current assessment is framed as part of a year of sabre-rattling ahead of another Anglo-Australian clash, starting in November 2025. Former Australian left-hander Darren Lehmann and, not least Ian Chappell, a man who is rarely short. from a cricketing point of view, have influenced Root. Lehmann has claimed that Root should not be considered an all-time great as he is yet to make a Test ton in Australia and even placed the Yorkshireman a step below Williamson and Virat Kohli. Chapelli, meanwhile, is full of praise for the former England captain, saying "Root was born to run. He is a joy to watch as he balances solid technique with a desire to focus on every opportunity".

Technically, however, Chappell has noted a flaw in Root's armory that could explain his less-than-flattering record on Australian pitches, arguing “Australia's most worrying statistic is the number of times it has been caught. The wicketkeepers have had a bonanza as they have taken Root's edges ten times in 27 innings. While he might counter with "you have to be good enough to hook them", it suggests he needs to reassess the extra bounce that Australian pitches offer.

Apart from the lack of centuries, it is worth noting that Root has scored nine half-centuries against the Aussies. Compared to Kane Williamson, Root's overall record against the Aussies is superior: 40.46 compared to an average of 36.95 for the New Zealander. Against India, Williamson's record is considerably lower, averaging 37.86 over 20 runs less than Root's 58.03, while in a head-to-head against the other's country, Root has a average of 54.06 against Williamson's 39.62 against England.

Batting against South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the Kiwi has the statistical advantage over the Yorkshireman. However, Williamson's average of 62.82 against South Africa and England's 46.53 against the same opposition does not exactly embarrass Root. Neither do direct comparisons with Pakistan (66.04 and 49.34), Sri Lanka (74.02 and 62.54) and the West Indies (60.62 vs. 56.03).

Where Williamson has a definite edge is in his accumulation of two Test hundreds against the Australians. As for Ian Chappell's thoughts on Root's adaptability to Australian surfaces, the New Zealander, on the other hand, is acknowledged to have a very specific approach, quite different from his peers. Avoiding an exaggerated lunge in the forward thrust, Williamson's initial movement is firm but not as pronounced as his contemporaries. Equally key is the ability to play the ball late.

Ricky Ponting has observed that Williamson "doesn't take a big step forward" and that he "play the ball later than anyone else". Former England captain Nasser Hussain, assessing Williamson's technical skills, pointed to economy of movement, hand placement and footwork as the basis of his success. Advancing the theory of an imaginary 'box', Hussain noted "imagine you have a box around waist height and just below. If you take your hands out of that box, you're playing ball early. If you can keep it in your box, you're playing late."

Hands placed outside the imaginary 'box' would also, according to Hussain, increase the likelihood of the ball following off-stump off-stump and cutting off a 'wicket and slip' opportunity. Hussain had little doubt that this compactness is what has contributed to Kane Williamson's success. Perhaps a similar adjustment by Root on Australian wickets would pay dividends and lend credence to Chappelli's view that the England man needs to reassess bounce on these surfaces.

What will finally deliver the long-sought Ashes century for Joe Root is the method that Ian Chappell so praised. It is a technique shaped by the modern age, but also one that starts from early principles and is a method that, at its core, is a product of the Yorkshire turf that produced some of the greatest batting techniques in the history of the game . When Neville Cardus described Sir Leonard Hutton as playing with a "project in his mind,” could easily be describing Joe Root nearly 70 years later.

Stylistically, Root's Yorkshire cricketing lineage is evident in everything from the light grip on the bat handle to the spread legs position at the crease, while the poise on the toes smacks of the same Sir Geoffrey Boycott. Alert, lateral and able to transfer to the back and front foot with easy dexterity, Root displays a classicism that harkens back to Hutton and Sutcliffe, albeit Boycott, Bill Athey and now Harry Brook, such a typical method. of his native county.

Watching footage of Mike Gatting's England in Australia during their victory tour of 1986/87, the resemblance between Athey and Root is striking. Indeed, Root's gifts are of a rich nature in contrast to Athey's narrower mode of operation, but the essence of Yorkshire's posture, footwork and positioning bears the stamp of the White Rose County.

Like Williamson Root's busy nature at the crease and innovative strokeplay are indicative of a player who has grown up in a multi-format cricket landscape. As such, the breath-inducing classical strokes that were once so typical of Root's English antecedents such as Hammond, May, Cowdrey, Dexter and Gower are perhaps not so obviously at the forefront of his repertoire. Instead, Root's audience will marvel at the rollout of the ramp and its reverse iteration, both traits it's hard to imagine its illustrious predecessors attempting, though trailblazer Dexter might have added those traits to his range.

Joe Root is England's greatest modern player and a titan of the current batting landscape. The disparity between his overall record and his figures against Australia is certainly tangible, although not, say, as stark as Ian Botham's record against the West Indies and his achievements against the rest. If the Yorkshireman takes Ian Chappell's remarks to heart next winter, the wait for a Test hundred against the old enemy may be over. In the week that Root and fellow Yorkshireman Harry Brook top the men's ICC Test batting rankings, their fans will appreciate that this modern batting great still has a lot left in the tank and, perhaps , a little to prove.



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