Cricket News: England VS South Africa - Evolution of Joe Root's batting
Joe Root, England's amulet, is one of the leading run-scorers in Test cricket among active players. Reaching a gigantic milestone of 10000 runs in red-ball format, the batter and cricket lovers are awaiting his other monumental feat in the game
Joe Root is the leading run scorer in Test cricket among active playersHe is one of the premium English batters and a top asset for the game's most extended format. Attempting to find his feet in a densely talented English team, he started his test career with a decent average of 36.73 and a strike rate of 40 from December 2012 to June 2014. He made his debut against India in 2012 and displayed his stunning intent to play 229 balls and score 73 runs in his debut inning.
Following this, 2014 saw a rise in his consistency and emergence of the 'Fab Four' in the cricketing world. Till 2017, he was in excellent form with a healthy average of 59.83 and a strike rate of 62. He and Virat Kohli, Steven Smith and Kane Williamson aced the game of cricket to such perfection that the ground looked extra-lit with cheers when they graced the stadium with their shots.
Like every good player who sees a decline once in his career, he also faced his share of failures till December 2020. His average dropped considerably to 39.06 and a strike rate of 51.
And then came his time of sheer brilliance yet again. Since the start of 2021, he has played 25 matches to accumulate 2649 runs. While his average and strike rate were 54.36 and 55 till May 2022, in the last three months, it has risen tremendously to 83.28 and 73, respectively. He has smashed 11 centuries since 2021 to surpass fellow cricketers from 'Fab four' who have struggled with their forms since then.
The blistering run of form of the 31-year-old put forward the most impressive stint by mastering the chase game in the fourth innings. Free of captaincy duties now, the player has been adding new shots like a reverse scoop to his already existing bag of amazing shots.
Joe Root's attacking intent with a bat under the 'Bazball' approach has looked to lift the sagging spirit of the England team. With the same motivation to score more, he said, "I want to try to help us win as many games as possible and score as many runs as I can. It's very easy for me. I don't play cricket to be the best captain. I play to win games and enjoy it with the lads I play with."
Continuing his purple form with the willow, he will keep the potential to engrave many records to his name after England's Sir Alastair Cook.
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