Joe Root, England’s star batsman, knows the hype surrounding big series like the Ashes. He knows people will make up storylines and amplify the noise. He’s aware of David Warner’s comments about him in Australia but isn’t letting it get to him.
Root, who has the second highest score in Test cricket with 13,543 runs, is key to England’s Ashes bid. Despite being important to the team, he’s yet to score a Test century in Australia where he’s about to play his fourth series.
He hasn’t scored a century in 14 Test innings in Australia. Warner, the former Australian opener, said in a BBC Sport interview earlier this month that Root needs to adjust his technique, that he gets lbw too often.
I can’t control what people think about the game or what they say in interviews, Root said. It doesn’t matter. What else can I do? I’ll just try to keep my surfboard out of the way so it’s not a talking point later on.
Root and Warner will face each other in The Hundred at Lord’s on Thursday with Root’s Trent Rockets taking on the London Spirit. When asked if he’ll respond to Warner’s comments on the pitch, Root said: I don’t think so. I guess it’s all part of the game, right? We’ll see what happens but I’m not one to get into verbals.
Root hasn’t scored a century or won a Test match in Australia but has nine half-centuries and an average of 35.68. That’s a decent record but lower than his career average of 51.29.
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Last summer he scored 537 runs in the five Tests against India. He’s now second on the all-time Test run-scorers list behind only Sachin Tendulkar.
The Ashes starts in November. Root wants to improve in Australia where he’ll be playing his fourth Test series.
“I think I wanted success too much on the previous tours, Root said at a KP Snacks event, the official team partner. “It stopped me from focusing on what was important.” “It’s had a lot going on on previous tours, lots of distractions. This time I just want to take the tour for what it is. Australia is a great country and a great place to play cricket. I know it will be intense, as you would expect for an away Ashes series and I’m looking forward to that. With so many Tests under my belt I feel as ready as I can be.”
