Can Joe Root Inspire England To Another Ashes Triumph This Winter?

Is Joe Root the best batsman on the planet right now? He is certainly up there with the likes of Steve Smith and Virat Kohli on current form and it would take a brave man to write the England captain off. To put his recent efforts into perspective, Root has scored 50 or higher in each of his last six Test matches – four of those against South Africa and two against the West Indies.

At just 26 years old, he still has plenty of room for improvement too, and that is the scary thing. Root’s potential has no boundaries; he could be one of the greatest England batsmen of all-time if he continues at his current rate.

With a Test match average of 54.30 and 32 half centuries in just 109 innings, he truly is a remarkable talent and he could be the difference between England and Australia in this winter’s Ashes series. Winning the Ashes in Australia won’t be easy; it never is. England’s record Down Under is modest to say the least but Root has the qualities to inspire and lead his team both on and off the cricket pitch.

Most 100s for England since Ben Stokes' Test Debut
11 Joe Root (47 matches)
6 Ben Stokes* (38 matches)
6 A Cook (48 matches)#ENGvWI

— Israr Ahmed Hashmi (@IamIsrarHashmi) August 25, 2017

As a captain, the Yorkshire star has developed and matured since he was appointed as skipper and Root now looks well accustomed to his central role. Not only is he now integral with the bat but his impact and influence in the field are well felt.

Unfortunately for Root and England supporters, he has struggled to inspire confidence in previous fixtures based in Australia. His average of 27.42 is merely half of his usual average whilst he has notched just one of his 32 half centuries Down Under.

Ultimately, Root is going to have to muster up all of his experience and focus on ignoring such statistics. At the end of the day, past records shouldn’t matter too much; current form is arguably more important.

 

As of September 3rd, England are a 5/2 shot to win the Ashes this winter – and cricket fans will argue that the tourists are in with a decent chance. The first Test match gets underway on November 23rd and that may set the tone for what could be a memorable series.After winning the previous series, Trevor Bayliss’ side know that a draw will be enough to retain the Ashes and England will be quietly confident of achieving that. Defeating the Aussies on their own patch may be tricky and the draw could save England after a gruelling winter.

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The draw might be the safest option but, as ever, the Ashes is unpredictable in nature. With that in mind, taking a look at the offers and promotions available via MarathonBet by the Bookies Offers could prove prudent – backing Root’s men to win outright may appeal, especially with the £20 in free bets on offer.England are on the verge of something special and an Ashes success on Aussie soil would certainly qualify as special. Bayliss and Root are leading England to the next level and a positive result this winter would come as no surprise after recent efforts. Watch this space; the Barmy Army will be expecting a big result Down Under.