Joe Root’s status as one of England’s all-time greats has long been assured.
And on his way to 87 on day two of the third Test against West Indies at Edgbaston, Root underlined why he is well on his way to cementing his place as one of the all-time great Test batters from any nation, too.
His tally took him past 12,000 runs on the international stage in the longest format, saw him surpass Sir Alastair Cook at the leading Test run-scorer at Edgbaston on 920 and counting, and move above West Indies icon Brian Lara and up to seventh on the all-time Test run-scorers list.
The 33-year-old’s dismissal 13 shy of his 33rd Test hundred meant, for now, he still sits one behind old team-mate Cook on England’s leading century-makers list, but that minor detail does not diminish the former skipper’s continued contributions for his country.
“He was absolutely magnificent again today and I think it was a shock to everyone when he got out without making a century,” former England batter Mark Butcher told Sky Sports.
“That list, some of those players are heroes of mine and people you play against. He’s gone past Brian Lara, who was probably the hero – the No 1 – and he’s tracking the rest of them down.
“He’s such a wonderful player and what I’ve loved watching from him since he relinquished the captaincy. Although the captaincy didn’t hurt his batting form and probably brought the best out of him, he’s taken on the role of being the senior man in the batting line-up.”
As he has so often in the past, Root played a vital role in helping dig England out of trouble against West Indies as they found themselves 54-5 early on day two aiming to overhaul the tourists’ first-innings total of 282.
Joined by Ben Stokes, the pair put on a vital sixth-wicket partnership of 115 before his successor as captain was dismissed soon after lunch for 54. Root then dug in with Jamie Smith, who later fell five short of his maiden Test ton after a century stand with Chris Woakes, to put on further 62 for the seventh wicket.
It was Gudakesh Motie who eventually dislodged Root by trapping him lbw, to go with bowling him at Lord’s, and former Australia international Mel Jones was in no doubt it needed something special to get out a player who still seems to be in his prime as a batter.
“I think back, particularly as an Aussie looking at his career and all the criticisms of him, it’s as if he’s found a way to consistently remould himself,” Jones told Sky Sports.
“He just keeps on getting better and better and he’s a joy to watch. I was almost salivating at his front-foot defence out there – that doesn’t happen too much these days!
“But that’s the beauty of watching him bat and you go ‘How are you going to get him out?’.”
Root has been one of the most enthusiastic embracers of the aggressive philosophy championed under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum’s leadership of the Test team, notably with the ramp shot more traditionally used in white-ball cricket which he has brought into the red-ball arena.
Even though his innings at Edgbaston was a more even tempo than some others in the past two years, he still scored with a strike-rate of 70.16, hitting seven fours, and Butcher is impressed with the way Root can effortlessly switch between approaches.
“I think the tempo he plays at is so good,” Butcher said. “We’ve seen him be hyper-aggressive under Stokes and McCullum at the beginning.
“But now he says ‘This is what I do: I go out there, I make runs, I make runs at a quick enough lick anyway without having to go completely bonkers’.
“It’s just a pleasure to watch him bat. He’s an artist at work and that’s pretty much the best way to sum him up.”
England’s Test series vs West Indies
Watch day three of the third Test between England and West Indies, from Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Sunday (first ball to be bowled at 11am).
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