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Gareth Bland |
Such is the nature of top-level sport that it is perhaps predictable that Joe Root’s review of Sir Alastair Cook’s England Test century record should lead many commentators to focus their attention on the club’s supposed Achilles’ heel. Yorkshire man at Test level: his record against Australia. Specifically, what concerns skeptics is the Dore-born maestro’s track record in Australia itself. An overall record of 40.46 against Australia in 34 Tests includes 14 matches in Australia, where Root is yet to score a century and averages 35.68. Root’s record against other established Test-playing countries (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, compared to the record of one of his teammates from “The Big Four” club, Kane Williamson, the only relative blemish on Root’s record seems less marked than it might otherwise appear.
Root’s current assessment comes as part of the year-long saber rattling ahead of another Anglo-Australian clash, set to begin in November 2025. Former Australian left-hander Darren Lehmann and, to no one’s surprise, Ian Chappell, a man who is rarely short of an opinion on cricket, have weighed in on Root. Lehmann has stated that Root should not be considered an all-time great as he is yet to do a Test ton in Australia and has even placed the Yorkshireman a rung below Williamson and Virat Kohli. Meanwhile, Chapelli praises the former England captain, saying: “Root was born to race. He’s a joy to watch, balancing solid technique with a desire to take advantage of every opportunity.”.
Technically, however, Chappell has noted a flaw in Root’s arsenal that could explain his less than flattering record on Australian pitches, arguing “The most worrying statistic in Australia is the number of times it is left behind. The wicketkeepers have had a bonanza as they have caught Root’s edges ten times in 27 innings. While you might respond with “you have to be good enough to catch them,” it suggests you need to re-evaluate the extra bounce that Australian pitches provide.”
Leaving aside the lack of centuries, it is worth noting that Root has scored nine half-centuries against the Australians. Compared to Kane Williamson, Root’s overall record against the Australians 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 in 20 runs less than Root’s 58.03, while in a head-to-head against the other’s country, Root averages 54, 06 compared to Williamson’s 39.62 against England.
Batting against South Africa, the West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the Kiwi has a statistical advantage over the Yorkshireman. However, an average of 62.82 by Williamson against South Africa and 46.53 by the Englishman against the same opponent 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 versus 56.03).
Where Williamson has a definite advantage is in his accumulation of two Test hundreds against the Australians. As for Ian Chappell’s views on Root’s adaptability to Australian surfaces, it is acknowledged that the New Zealander, on the other hand, has a very specific approach, quite different to that of his teammates. Avoiding an exaggerated lunge in the forward thrust, Williamson’s initial movement is firm but not as pronounced as that of 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”plays the ball later than anyone else”. Former England captain Nasser Hussain, assessing Williamson’s technical prowess, highlighted the economy of movement, hand placement and footwork that underlie his success. Advancing the theory of an imaginary “box,” Hussain noted “Imagine you have a box around the height of your waist and just below it. If you move your hands out of that area, you will be playing the ball early. If you can keep it in your box, you’re playing it late.”
Hands placed outside the imaginary “box” would also, Hussain argued, increase the probability of following the ball outside the off-stump and taking the opportunity to mark the keeper and slip. Hussain had no 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 re-evaluate bouncing on those surfaces.
What will ultimately deliver that long-sought Ashes century for Joe Root is the method that Ian Chappell so praised. It is a technique shaped by the modern era, but also one that starts from first principles and is a method that, at its core, is a product of the Yorkshire turf that produced some of the greatest batting technicians in the history of the game. When Neville Cardus described Sir Leonard Hutton as someone who played with a “plane in your mind” could easily be describing Joe Root almost 70 years later.
Stylistically, Root’s Yorkshire cricket lineage is evident in everything from the light grip on the bat handle to the wide-legged stance at the crease, while the balance on the balls of his feet is reminiscent of Sir Geoffrey Boycott himself. Alert, sideways and able to transfer to front and back foot with ease, Root displays a classicism that goes back to Hutton and Sutcliffe, but also Boycott, Bill Athey and now Harry Brook, an approach that is so typical. from your county of origin.
Watching footage of Mike Gatting’s England in Australia on their victorious 1986/87 tour, the resemblance between Athey and Root is striking. Indeed, Root’s gifts are of a rarefied nature in contrast to Athey’s more limited mode of operation, but Yorkshire’s essential model of stance, footwork and positioning bears the stamp of the White Rose county.
Just like Williamson Root’s busy nature at the crease and his innovative strokeplay are indicative of a player who has grown up in a multi-format cricket landscape. As such, the classic wow-inducing hits that were once so typical of Root’s English background like Hammond, May, Cowdrey, Dexter and Gower are perhaps not so obviously at the forefront of his repertoire. Instead, tellingly, Root’s audience will marvel at the ramp rollout and its reverse iteration, both shots that it’s hard to imagine his illustrious predecessors attempting, although the pioneering Dexter might well have added such shots to his range.
Joe Root is England’s greatest modern player and a titan of the current batting scene. The disparity between his overall record and his figures against Australia is certainly tangible, although not as stark, say, as Ian Botham’s record against the West Indies and his achievements against the rest. If the Yorkshireman takes Ian Chappell’s observations into account next winter, perhaps his wait for a Test hundred against the old enemy will come to an end. In the week when Root and his Yorkshire teammate Harry Brook sit at the top of the ICC men’s Test batting rankings, their fans will be glad that this great modern batsman still has plenty left in the tank and , perhaps, a little to prove.
