New Delhi: The last four years have proved to be remarkable for seasoned English batter Joe Root, especially in the longest format of the game. Root, with his exceptional talent and batting prowess, has scaled new heights, surpassing the top-ranked players in Tests.
The stylish right-hander came to England’s rescue once again on Thursday as he anchored the team’s recovery to 358/7 on the first day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at the iconic Lord’s stadium. His special 143-run knock not only powered the home team to a respectable total at day end but also gave him his 33rd Test century, taking him to the top spot in the coveted Fab four list. Root matched his idol Sir Alastair Cook’s record of 33rd Test centuries in his 145th Test match.
In modern day Test cricket, the Fab Four batters is a nickname used for the top four players who are a epitome of batting excellence. In the last 4-5 years, Root’s performance in Tests has elevated to a considerable level as he has managed to amass lot of runs and tons. Once at the last spot of the Fab 4 tally, Root has now climbed to the summit.
How did Joe Root turn the tally upside down
Back in the year 2020, Joe Root was placed fourth in the list with 17 hundred’s to his name while Virat Kohli held the top spot with 27 centuries. Among the other premier batters, Steven Smith (26) was second while Kane Williamson (21) was placed third.
As the longest format of the game has taken a backseat since the inception of the T20 cricket, not many Test matches are played globally. But in the game of ups and downs, Root showcased his consistency and skillsets to score as many as 16 centuries in a span of just four years to turn the Fab 4 tally upside down and take the top spot with 33 hundreds. While Root hit 16 hundreds, his contemporaries during the same time scored just 2 (Kohli), 6 (Smith) and 11 (Williamson) hundreds in these four years.
The numbers clearly back the English batter as they speak for themselves as to how methodically the Englishman has been in the most testing format of the game. Root has not just dominated the game at home in the last four years but across different locations as well.
England have travelled to India, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies and even Pakistan for Test matches and the seasoned batter has made his presence feel to a certain extent at all the places. Talking about his record in the last 5 years, Root has scored 5315 runs in 61 Test matches, dominating the format, where resilience is the key and the where other batting powerhouses have not succeeded much.
Joe Root slammed a sensational ton, his 33rd, on the first day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka at the Lord’s. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
