THE SHARPE END: Joe Root's evolution into the complete player

JAMES SHARPE: Joe Root’s 30th Test century on the opening day of the Ashes came 10 years on from his first… Mail Sport analyses FIVE tweaks he has made to evolve into the complete player over the past decade

  • Joe Root scored his first Ashes hundred since 2015 on Friday at Edgbaston
  • He now has 30 Test tons, with his first coming 10 years ago against New Zealand
  • Mail Sport has analysed his game to look at the tweaks he’s made over the years 

Just when you thought Joe Root could not improve any more, he reverse-ramps 85mph bowlers over third man for six.

It’s more than 10 years since his first Test hundred and so much about him has changed.

Root has made technical tweaks along the way, endured fallow spells, but is now a complete player who scores runs all around the wicket.

Here’s how his game has developed over the years…

Joe Root put on a batting masterclass on Friday, which included hitting two reverse-ramps over third man for six

He now has 30 Test tons to his name, with his first coming back in 2013 against New Zealand

1. Stance 

Root stands more open now before delivery. His front foot is outside leg stump and his back foot is closer to middle. At the start of his Test career, he was more closed off with his back heel outside leg and his front toe near middle stump.

2. Crease 

Root stood outside of his crease to the Aussie quicks on Day 1, meeting the ball further down the pitch. He used to start deeper in his crease and that caused him problems in the last Ashes in England in 2019.

3. Head 

Root stands taller these days with his head above middle stump. He was previously more hunched with his head further towards off stump.

4. Pick-up 

His hands are higher, picking the bat up straighter and taller with a more prominent front elbow.

5. Trigger 

Root now steps back before pressing on to his front foot at delivery. At the start of his Test career, he just had a small front-foot press.

  • Root has scored a much higher percentage of his runs behind square in his more recent centuries than the ones at the start of his career — thanks to the addition to his game of sweeps and reverse ramps!

P.S. Root’s last five tons have come under Bazball. He has hit nine sixes in those five innings at a strike-rate of 75.8. 

Root has made five noticeable changes to his technique to become the complete player

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