Such is the nature of sport at the highest level that it is perhaps predictable that Joe Root’s review of Sir Alastair Cook’s England record of Test centuries should lead many commentators to turn their attention to the Yorkshireman’s supposed Achilles’ heel at Test level: his record against Australia. Specifically, where doubters are concerned, it is the record of the Australian-born maestro Dore himself. 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 an average of 35.68. Root’s record against the other established Test playing nations – India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies – it is enviable, and statistical proof of its undoubted class.
Focusing on Joe Root’s record against Australia is a natural by-product of an intense Ashes rivalry. However, compared to the record of one of his fellow members of “The Big Four” club in Kane Williamson, the one relative blemish on Root’s record looks less stark than it might otherwise appear.
Root’s current assessment comes as part of a year-long saber-rattling ahead of another Anglo-Australian clash, starting in November 2025. Former Australian left-hander Darren Lehmann and – free to none – Ian Chappell , a rare short man. of cricketing opinion, should be weighed on Root. Lehmann stated that Root should not be considered an all-time great as he is yet to score a Test ton in Australia and even ranked the Yorkshireman below Williamson and Virat Kohli. Chapelli, meanwhile, is full of praise for the former England captain, saying “Root was born to make runs. He is a joy to watch, as he balances solid technique with a desire to shine at every opportunity“.
Technically, however, Chappell observed a flaw in the Root’s armory that could account for its less than flattering record on Australian pitches, arguing “the most worrying statistic in Australia is the number of times it is caught back. The keepers had a bonanza as they caught Root’s ends ten times in 27 innings. While he may counter with “You have to be good enough to fly them”, this suggests he needs to reassess the extra bounce that Australian pitches provide.”
Lack of centuries aside, it is worth noting that Root picked up nine half-centuries against the Australians. Compared to Kane Williamson, Root’s overall record against the Aussies is superior – 40.46 as opposed to an average of 36.95 for the New Zealander. Against India, Williamson’s record is considerably inferior, averaging 37.86 over 20 runs less than Root’s 58.03, while head-to-head against each other’s country Root averages 54.06 as opposed to Williamson’s 39.62 against England.
Batting against South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, the Kiwi has a statistical advantage over the Yorkshireman. However, an average of 62.82 for Williamson against South Africa and 46.53 for England against the same opposition did not exactly embarrass Root. Nor do they make direct comparisons against Pakistan (66.04 and 49.34), Sri Lanka (74.02 and 62.54), and West Indies (60.62 against 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 suitability for the Australian faces, the New Zealander, on the contrary, is recognized as having a very specific approach, quite distinct from his friends. While he avoids an exaggerated blow in the forward thrust, Williamson’s initial movement is solid but not as pronounced as that of his contemporary. Equally important is the ability to play the ball late.
Ricky Ponting observed that Williamson “does not take a big step forward” and that is “he plays the ball later than anyone“. Former England captain Nasser Hussain, while evaluating Williamson’s technical ability, noted the economy of movement, hand positioning and footwork which are the foundation of success his Advancing the theory of an imaginary “box” Hussain noted “imagine you have a round box around your waist height and just below. If you stick your hand outside that box you are playing the ball early. If you can keep it in your box, you’re playing it late.”
Hands positioned outside the imaginary “box” also, argued Hussain, increase the probability of following the ball outside the gap and remove the chance of ‘keeper and slipping’. Hussain had little doubt that it is this compactness that contributed to Kane Williamson’s success. Perhaps a similar adjustment from Root on Australian wickets will pay dividends and lend credence to Chappelli’s view that the England man needs to reassess the bounce on those surfaces.
What will ultimately deliver that much-sought-after Ashes century for Joe Root is the much-vaunted method of Ian Chappell. It is a technique shaped by the modern age, but also one that starts from first principles and is a method which, at its heart, is a product of the Yorkshire stalwart who has produced some of the greatest batting techniques in the history of the game. When Neville Cardus described Sir Leonard Hutton as someone who played with “blueprint 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 wide leg stance at the crease, while the balancing on the balls of the feet is the art of Sir Geoffrey Boycott himself. Alert, lateral, and able to transfer to the back and front foot with easy dexterity, Root displays a classicism that goes back to Hutton and Sutcliffe, though to Boycott, Bill Athey, and now Harry Brook, a method that it is so typical. of his home county.
When we watch footage of Mike Gatting’s England in Australia during their victory tour in 1986/87, the resemblance between Athey and Root is startling. Sure enough, Root’s gifts are of a rarified nature in contrast to Athey’s narrow mode of operation, but Yorkshire’s essential boilerplate of position, footwork, and positioning carries the stamp of White Rose county.
Like Williamson Root’s engaging nature at the crease and innovative strokeplay are indicative of a player who has grown up in a multi-format cricketing landscape. As such, the classical gasp-inducing strokes that were once so typical of Root’s English antecedents such as Hammond, May, Cowdrey, Dexter, and Gower are perhaps not so evident at the forefront of his repertoire. Instead, tellingly, the Root audience will marvel at the deployment of the ramp and its reverse iteration, both strokes it is difficult to imagine his illustrious predecessors attempted, although the pioneer Dexter may have added such shots with his range.
Joe Root is England’s best modern player and a titan of the current batting landscape. The disparity between his overall record and his figures against Australia are certainly tangible, although, say, not as marked as Ian Botham’s record against the West Indies and his achievements against the rest . If the Yorkshireman takes on board Ian Chappell’s observations next winter perhaps his wait for a Test hundred against the old enemy will come to an end. In the week that Root and fellow Yorkshireman Harry Brook sit at the top of the men’s ICC Test batting rankings, his followers will take heart that this modern batting great still has a long way to go. -tank and, perhaps, something to try.
2024-12-13 18:12:23