– Joe Root’s “bounce back ability”
By Brandon Corlette
Joseph Edward Root is amongst the great contemporary batsman in cricket. At 28 years old, the English Test captain has 6685 Test runs at an average of 49.51; with 16 centuries and 41 half-centuries. The recently concluded Test series played in the Caribbean, that saw Windies take the Wisden Trophy 2-1, Root showed the ability to bounce back. The first two Test matches that were played saw Root scored 40 runs in four innings.
The first Test that was played at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown Barbados saw Root score 4 and 22. He replicated is poor performance in the second Test played in Antigua, when he scored seven runs in both innings and was undone by Alzrri Joseph twice in the match.
In the first innings of the third and final Test at the Darren Sammy National Cricket
Stadium in St Lucia, Root was out for 15 in another Alzarri Joseph dismissal. It was the second and final innings of the 3-match Test series and Joe Root certainly redeemed himself with a masterful 122 from 225 balls. Reflecting on the overall Test series, Root had a poor Test series scoring 177 runs at an average of 29.50.
His century in the final Test came against all-odds, having lost the series as captain, entering the final Test with 40 runs in his name and being tormented by Shannon Gabriel’s remarks; the knock of 122 will be rated as beyond special since England saved themselves from a “Blackwash”.
Despite Root’s poor series, he still remains an elite player against all teams, especially West Indies. The English Test captain played his first Test match against West Indies on April 13, 2015 and had scores of 83 and 59 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Since the inception, Root scored 803 runs in nine Test matches, batting 15 innings. The dashing Root averages 53.53 against West Indies in Test matches scoring three centuries with a high score of 182*in 2015 at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada.
Root scored 136 at Edgbaston in August 2017 and his other century came in
February 2019 when he scored 122. Along with his three centuries, Root has four half-centuries against the men-in-maroon. Root’s century in the final innings may have set the tone for him in the upcoming One Day International (ODI) series starting on Wednesday, February 20.
Root, who is England’s leading run scorer in ODI cricket will not have the burden of leading the team in the upcoming five-match ODI series, since Eoin Morgan is expected to captain the team. The elegant stroke-maker, Joe Root has 4946 ODI runs with 13 centuries and 29 half-centuries at an average of 51.52 in the 121 matches he played.
Come Wednesday in the first ODI, Root would be aiming for a smooth transition with bat in hand from the third test, having displayed the ability to score runs under pressure.
