Root scales new peak in Test cricket
Kevin Sharp, Root’s childhood coach, is a happy man.
Speaking to TNIE, Sharp said, “I’ve known Joe since he was 12. Obviously, I’ve monitored his progress. It’s just been a pleasure to see him become one of the world’s greatest ever.”
“The boy had a real love of the game and a love of batting. Even when he was captain, I know the team weren’t at their best, but he still made runs. He’s been able to settle into the role of a senior player in the team, and he’s still been a leader in that respect. He just loves being at the crease. He wants to bat for a long time. He wants to show people that he can play. He enjoys being on television, enjoys showing people he can bat. Having said that, he’s a very humble person, and he cares about other people and he cares about his teammates as well,” he continued.
What makes Root’s progression all the more significant is the transformation in his conversation rate. For the first six years of his Test career, Root had as many as 45 fifties but less than half in terms of hundreds (17). Since then, he has 17 centuries and 19 fifties.
Sharp believes the environment Stokes and McCullum have created has played its part as well. “He’s obviously enjoying the environment within that England team, as they all seem to be. They want their players to express themselves in the way that they see fit, and he’s in his prime now. He’s a mature player and he’s got a lot left in him yet. As long as he’s motivated, he could make runs for a long time,” he says.
That Root is the youngest of the Fab Four and is only 33 brings up the inevitable question of whether he will be the one to go past Sachin Tendulkar. Several names have been discussed in the past as well, including Cook, but they have all faded away. For the first time in a long while, someone seems to have a realistic chance.
Root (12377) is only 3544 runs shy of Tendulkar (15921), and he will play 17 more Tests before the end of the 2025 season. For all you know, he might enter the all-time top five (he is now seventh) in the next Test against Sri Lanka (it begins on Friday).
“You never know. It’ll be all about motivation. But I have a feeling that he’ll want to play at the highest level for as long as he possibly can, as long as he’s fit enough. So he could finish up as the world’s greatest ever, couldn’t he? While Root’s place in the pantheon of Test batters is safe, is he already the greatest England has ever produced? “Well, he’s not far away,” says Sharp.
“I suppose when he actually finishes playing, we’ll know that for certain. But I mean, if you look at his last two innings, he looks so composed, he looks so much in control, and he looks to have so much time. I suppose time will tell.”