Joe Root Eyes Maiden Test Ton on Australian Soil Ahead of 2025 Ashes

With no centuries Down Under, Joe Root will be aiming for great things ahead this year.

Joe Root Eyes Maiden Test Ton on Australian Soil Ahead of 2025 Ashes

Joe Root (via Cricket Addictor)

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The recently concluded England vs. India series saw England’s talisman batter break multiple Test match records. Joe Root went up many lists and has now scored a record 13 Test hundreds against India. For him performing against India has never been that much of a challenge whether it be in England or in India.

His main nemesis lies in performances in Australia. With the 2025 Ashes in sight, Joe Root despite scoring a plethora of runs has once again come in the radar of many critics for him not having a single Test match hundred in Australia. In a chat with ESPNcricinfo, Root opened up about his century drought in Australia and said what he would like to apply to his game this time around.

The thing that stands out for me is I probably wanted it way too much the last couple of times.
It took me away from what was important.

Joe Root via ESPNcricinfo

Root acknowledged that in the previous two occasions of him going down under, he was too desperate to get to the three figures. The desperation kept him away from performing for the country and distracted him from what was most important. However, the batter this time around plans to change his outlook and make sure that the runs come along with the right intention.

Having played there a couple of times before, now going there with 150-odd Test matches under my belt, I feel like you couldn’t be more ready for it so just go and enjoy what a great tour it should be.

Joe Root added

It is clear that the star English batter is eyeing an amazing series in Australia topped with a few hundreds. Root feels with the amount of experience under his belt he is in a much better position to crack the batting code in conditions hostile to him.

A look at the two halves of Joe Root’s Test career

Joe Root’s numbers currently boast of an extremely consistent and confident batter. Just like Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Steve Smith, Joe Root was framed as one of the modern greats to take world cricket forward. It was a result of some really good performances early on in his career.

Joe Root improved massively post 2021.
Joe Root (via Sky Sports and The Independent)

However, as the years went by the gap between Root and the other three increased when it came to potency and match winning ability. Root’s poor conversation rate of fifties to hundreds slowly began affecting his quality among the Fab 4.

The numbers are decent but if kept in context they weren’t match winning as compared to the ones of his contemporaries. He would get out often in 70s and 80s, unable to finish matches and stamp his authority on winning moments.

However, with cricket going on a break due to the unfortunate COVID virus, Root had time to work on his game. From 2021 onwards, Root was a different batter altogether. In the next four years, Root has scored more than 5500 Test runs and an incredible 22 Test centuries. His conversation rate went up by miles.

Before anyone could process the change in form, Root surpassed all his contemporaries and now stands amongst the game’s greats. In a recent viral record Joe Root stands second to the great Sachin Tendulkar in the tally of most number of Test match runs. With such a massive change in his cricket persona the overseas Ashes have come at the right time for him to set the record straight once and for all.

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