• Home
  • Entertainment
  • Average Joe Australian Media Targets England Mocks Root In Classic Ashes Banter

"Average Joe": Australian media targets England, mocks Root in classic Ashes banter

Akshita Patel

Aussie media hits out at Joe Root [Source: @cric_blog, @shaibal_27/X.com]Aussie media hits out at Joe Root [Source: @cric_blog, @shaibal_27/X.com]

In the days leading up to the Ashes 2025, the mind games have already started. The West Australian newspaper took a dig at England with a bold headline calling Joe Root “Average Joe” for his modest record in Australia.

The numbers tell a story that fuels the headline. In Australia, Root averages 36 across 14 Tests, a far cry from his career average of 50-plus. 

In Perth, where England will play one of their biggest Tests this series, his average dips to just 14. 

Australian media reminds Joe Root of his awful past

And despite playing some brilliant innings in England, Joe Root has never scored a century on Australian soil. 

For a player often hailed as England’s modern great, those stats sting, and the Aussie media knows exactly how to use them.

In a recent edition of The West Australian newspaper, Root was referred to as ‘average’ and ‘dud’ on the front page.

West Australian newspaper front page [Source: @cric_blog/X.com]West Australian newspaper front page [Source: @cric_blog/X.com]

Regardless of the past, this time, though, things feel different. Joe Root arrives in 2025 as a more experienced, mentally tougher player. 

Under Ben Stokes’ leadership, England’s “Bazball” approach has changed the way they play, fearless, aggressive, and unafraid to take risks. 

Since 2024, he has hit 2127 runs in 23 Tests with nine hundreds and six fifties. This year, his average is close to 64.

Hence, in Ashes 2025, Joe Root will be keen to prove that “Average Joe” is a label that belongs to the past.

The Ashes rivalry kicks off in its classic style

Australia, of course, will relish the headline. The home crowd loves a bit of needle, and it adds spice to what’s already cricket’s fiercest rivalry. 

But Joe Root rarely bites back. He’s likely to let his bat do the talking, and nothing would silence the critics faster than a hundred at Perth, the ground that has haunted him most.

For now, the headline serves as the classic Ashes theatre, part banter, part psychological warfare, aimed squarely at England’s most dependable batter.