Root Relishes Milestone: Scoring a Test Century Down Under

Joe Root, the star batter of England, is determined to break his longstanding streak of not scoring a Test century in Australia as the Ashes series approaches. Root has played 27 innings in Australia without reaching the three-figure mark, though he has nine fifties, with his highest score being 89 during the last Ashes tour in Brisbane in 2021.

Root expressed his readiness to overcome this challenge, stating, “Big series are the ones you want to play in and contribute in.”

Since England’s last visit to Australia for the Ashes, Root has amassed numerous runs globally. He concluded 2021 with 1708 runs—leading the Test charts by a significant margin. In subsequent years, he scored 1098 runs in 2022, 787 runs in 2023, and 1556 runs in 2024. This year, he has scored 571 runs from 10 innings, surpassing legends like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history.

The prolific run-scorer returns to Australia relieved of the captaincy burdens, now under the leadership of Ben Stokes following the 2021 tour.

Root told Sky Sports, “I am in a different place from when I last went out there. Without the captaincy, I am more experienced. I’ve had a good couple of years, learning valuable lessons from previous tours.”

Root also expressed optimism about England’s prospects of winning their first away Ashes series since 2011, emphasizing the team’s aggressive approach under Stokes and McCullum. He stated it’s about winning the urn back, rather than personal glory.

“The opportunity is there for us to seize,” Root added. “Personal accolades will follow if I play my role well, but the main focus is reclaiming the urn.”

Root concluded by highlighting the team’s robust resources, hoping that his scoring form will significantly contribute to their success.

The five-match series begins on November 21 in Perth.