Joe Root: England Great Chases Elusive Century In Australia

Joe Root: England Great Chases Elusive Century In Australia (Image Source: AFP)

Joe Root heads into the Ashes, beginning on Friday in Perth, ranked as the world's best batsman with a colossal 39 Test hundreds to his name... but still waiting for his first ton in Australia.

Only Sachin Tendulkar has scored more than Root's 13,543 Test runs and the retired Indian's tally of nearly 15,921 looks within reach of the 34-year-old Englishman.

Root's return of 892 runs in 14 Tests in Australia at an average of 35.68 is not shabby and for his many admirers, his lack of a Test century Down Under is not a huge deal.

But other observers believe Root must reach three figures in Australia to cement his status among the best ever to wield a bat.

Darren Lehmann, Australia's coach when they swept the 2013/14 Ashes series 5-0, said Root needs to break his duck to be considered an "all-time great" alongside Virat Kohli of India, Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealander Kane Williamson.

Darren Gough agrees the pressure is on the former captain to deliver despite his astonishing achievements.

If the batsman "wants to be truly regarded as a world great" he needs a century in Australia, the former England paceman told Talksport.

- 'Not like he's failed' -

But former Australia captain Ian Chappell believes the debate is overblown.

"His record in Australia -- OK, he hasn't made a hundred, but he still averages 35 in Australia which is not bad... It's not like he's failed in Australia," Chappell told Wide World of Sports.

"He's made decent scores -- he just hasn't got a hundred."

Given Root's orthodox technique and proven ability to bat for long periods, it is surprising the Yorkshireman has such a glaring hole on his CV.

Several factors are in play, starting with his fondness for scoring runs behind square on the off side -- a hugely productive area but one that is risky on Australian pitches that are among the quickest in the world.

"Clearly, the late glide through third man that he plays on a regular basis in the UK, it does just bounce a little bit more (in Australia)," former England captain Michael Vaughan told the BBC.

Another issue is that Root has faced fast bowlers in peak form on previous tours, with left-armer Mitchell Johnson dominating the 2013/14 series.

The pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc -- all of whom are still active -- were central figures over the following two Ashes series in Australia.

When Hazlewood was sidelined in the 2021/22 Ashes, Australia were able to turn to Scott Boland, who dismissed Root four times in three Tests.

Leaving aside his personal achievements, Root's experiences with England in Australia have not been happy ones.

England last won an away Ashes series in 2010/11 and their recent record in Australia is pitiful, with 13 defeats and two draws in 15 Tests.

But unlike the previous two Ashes tours, Root is no longer the England captain.

Without the burden of leadership, he has scored 14 Test hundreds since coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes joined forces in 2022.

Root, who previously explained he had wanted a hundred in Australia "too much", said last month: "I used to be very technical in how I prepared.

"I'd want to make sure that everything felt lined up and my feet were in the right place, my head position was correct. But I'm a lot more mentally focused."

Steve Harmison, a former Ashes-winning fast bowler for England, believes Root is on course to end his hoodoo.

"The trajectory of the way he's been playing means you expect him to rock up and get a couple of hundreds," he told Talksport.

"I think he'll get a couple of hundreds out there because great players do when the big series are on -- they stand up.