Such is the nature of top-level sport that it is perhaps predictable that Joe Root’s revision of Sir Alastair Cook’s England record for Test centuries should lead many commentators to turn their attention to the Yorkshireman’s alleged Achilles heel in Test level: his record against Australia. In particular, as far as the doubters go, it is the Dore-born conductor’s record in Australia itself. An overall record of 40.46 against Australia in 34 Tests includes 14 matches Down Under where Root is yet to score a century and averages 35.68. Root’s record against the other established Test-playing nations – India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies – is enviable and a statistical testament to his undoubted class.
The spotlight on Joe Root’s record against Australia is a natural by-product of an intense Ashes rivalry. However, when compared to the record of one of his colleagues in “The Big Four” club in Kane Williamson, the one relative blemish on Root’s record looks less glaring than it might otherwise.
Root’s current assessment comes as part of a long-running row ahead of another Anglo-Australian clash, starting in November 2025. Former Australian left-hander Darren Lehmann and – to no one’s surprise – Ian Chappell, a man rarely short of a cricketing opinion, have borne by Root. Lehmann has stated that Root should not be considered an all-time great as he is yet to score a Test ton in Australia and has even placed the Yorkshireman a rung 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 shoot at every opportunity“.
Technically, however, Chappell noted a flaw in Root’s arsenal that could be accounted for by his less-than-flattering record on Australian pitches, arguing “The most worrying statistic in Australia is the number of times it has been caught back. The Keepers have been on a roll as they have stuck Root’s ends ten times in 27 innings. While he could respond with ‘you have to be good enough to beat them’, it suggests he needs to reassess the extra bounce that Australian pitches provide.”
Apart from 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 Aussies is superior – 40.46 against an average of 36.95 for the New Zealander. Against India, Williamson’s record is significantly inferior, averaging 37.86 in 20 runs less than Root’s 58.03, while against the other country, Root averages 54.06 against Williamson’s 39.62 against England.
Struggling against South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the Kiwi has the statistical advantage over the Yorkshireman. However, an average of 62.82 for Williamson against South Africa and 46.53 for the Englishman against the same opposition doesn’t exactly trouble Root. Neither do direct comparisons with Pakistan (66.04 and 49.34), Sri Lanka (74.02 and 62.54) and West Indies (60.62 vs 56.03).
Where Williamson has a clear advantage is in his accumulation of two Test hundreds against the Australians. As for Ian Chappell’s thoughts on Root’s adaptability on Australian surfaces, the New Zealander, on the other hand, is recognized as having a very specific approach, quite different from his peers. Avoiding an excessive launch in the forward thrust, Williamson’s initial movement is solid but not as sharp as his contemporaries. Equally important is the ability to play the ball slowly.
Ricky Ponting observed that Williamson “he doesn’t take a big step forward“and that he”plays the ball later than anyone“. Former England captain Nasser Hussain, assessing Williamson’s technical ability, noted the economy of movement, hand placement and footwork as the foundation of his success. Promoting the theory of an imaginary “box” Hussain noted “imagine you have a box around your waist height and just below. If you take your hands outside of this box, you play the ball early. If you can keep it in your box, you play it slow.”
Hands placed outside the imaginary ‘box’, Hussain argued, would also increase the likelihood that the ball would follow outside the outfield and win a chance to ‘keeper and slide’. Hussain had little doubt that it was this compactness that contributed to Kane Williamson’s success. Perhaps a similar adjustment from Root on Australian wickets would provide advantages and lend credence to Chappelli’s view that the Englishman needs to reassess bounce on these surfaces.
What will finally deliver the much sought after Ashes century for Joe Root is the method that Ian Chappell so lauded. It is a technique shaped by the modern era, but also one that starts from the very beginning and is a method which, 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 playing with a “plan in his mindIt could easily be describing Joe Root nearly 70 years later.
Stylistically, Root’s Yorkshire cricket pedigree is evident in everything from the light grip on the bat to the leg-splitting stance at the crease, while the poise on the balls of the feet is reminiscent of Sir Geoffrey Boycott himself. Alert, on the side and able to move onto the back and front foot with effortless dexterity, Root displays a classicism that stretches back to Hutton and Sutcliffe, though to Boycott, Bill Athey and now Harry Brooke, a method that it is so distinctive. of his county of origin.
Watching footage of Mike Gatting’s England in Australia on the victorious 1986/87 tour, the resemblance between Athey and Root is striking. Sure, Root’s gifts are of a rarified nature in contrast to Athey’s tighter modus operandi, but the Yorkshire staple of stance, footwork and positioning bears the stamp of the White Rose County.
Like Williamson Root’s busy nature at the crease and innovative strokeplay are indicative of a player who has grown up in a multi-format cricket landscape. As such, the classical breath-inducing strokes that were once so typical of Root’s English predecessors such as Hammond, May, Cowdrey, Dexter and Gower may not feature so prominently in the repertoire. of. Instead, Root’s audience will marvel at the ramp development and reverse repetition it’s hard to imagine his illustrious predecessors attempting, though pioneer Dexter might well have added such shots to his repertoire.
Joe Root is England’s greatest modern player and a titan of today’s batting landscape. The difference between his overall record and his numbers against Australia is certainly palpable, although not, say, as stark as Ian Botham’s record in the West Indies and his achievements against the rest. If the Yorkshireman takes Ian Chappell’s observations to heart next winter, perhaps his wait for a Test hundred against the old foe will be over. In the week that Root and fellow Yorkshireman Harry Brook top the men’s ICC Test rankings, his followers will understand that this modern batting great still has plenty left in the tank and, perhaps, something to prove.
