The final frontier: Joe Root's last shot at Ashes century Down Under

Shreyasi

Joe Root [Source: AFP Photos]Joe Root [Source: AFP Photos]

Joe Root stands out as one of the top batters of all time in world cricket. Among the elite modern 'Fab Four' batters, Root leads the run chart, surpassing Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Virat Kohli. His impressive tally positions him as a potential threat to Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs in Test matches.

Root’s contrasting numbers in Test cricket: In and outside Australia

Root's forgettable numbers in Australia in Tests [Source: X/@OfficialSfreak]Root's forgettable numbers in Australia in Tests [Source: X/@OfficialSfreak]

The only chink in the armour in Root’s long career is not performing as he liked to do in Test matches in Australia. For an outstanding batter like him, the performance in Australia is mediocre, and with another Ashes coming up, it could be the last opportunity for Root to correct that.

Currently, Root has 13,543 Test runs with an average of 51.29 and 39 Test match hundreds. His recent performances have been particularly impressive, as he adopted a more aggressive approach during the ‘Baz-ball’ era of English cricket, scoring 14 of his Test centuries since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over in 2022.

When it comes to performances in Australia, Root has rather forgettable numbers. He has been part of three travelling England sides down under so far. In 14 Test matches during these tours, he scored 892 runs in 27 innings. His average in Australia stands at 35.68, which is his lowest among all countries except Bangladesh, where he participated in only a couple of Test matches.

Among his nine fifties down under, Root scored five fifty-plus scores in nine innings during the 2017-18 tour. But a century remained elusive, with 89 at the Gabba during the last Ashes tour being his highest in Australia.

The curious case of Joe Root in Australia

One of the theories that explains Root’s below-par performance in Australia is that his strength of playing behind the square at the offside becomes a weakness on the hard, bouncy pitches of Australia. The ball bounces slightly more, and as he glides towards point and third man, Root becomes a candidate for being caught by the wicket keeper and the slip fielders.

During the last tour, in the first four Test matches, Root was caught behind all 8 times, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey catching him four times and both Steve Smith and David Warner catching him twice each at the slips. This is an aspect of the game Root would like to improve in this tour to get his maiden hundred.

Arguably, Root faced a very good Australian bowling attack in all three tours he was part of. In 2013-14, it was Mitchell Johnson who was in his prime and delivered a fast-bowling performance for the ages to help Australia win 5-0 and regain the Ashes for the first time since 2006-07. In the next two tours, he had to face the trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood, who have combined to dismiss Root 29 times in Test cricket so far.

One last chance for Root to conquer Australia

Root vs Boland [Source: X/@Smithian_here]Root vs Boland [Source: X/@Smithian_here]

When Hazlewood was injured during the last series, Australia summoned Scott Boland, who dismissed Root 4 times in 74 deliveries, conceding just 39 runs. With Cummins out for at least the first Test match of the upcoming Ashes 2025, the Root vs Boland battle will become a talking point in the initial phase of this Ashes.

One advantage for Root this time will be that he will play more freely without the added responsibility of leading the touring party. During the last two tours, it felt like a burden at times, especially after being in the middle for more than 100 overs. In this series, he will also be supported by other aggressive batters like Ben Duckett and Harry Brook, who can attack the Australian bowlers from one end and allow Root to anchor the other end and focus on playing a long innings.

As far as the Ashes is concerned, Joe Root has four centuries to his name, showcasing his excellence. But a Test century on Australian soil is still missing. As the new Ashes series in Australia begins, both Root and his fans will hope to break the drought and get that elusive century down under to his record.