Joe Root's 121 at Headingley was his sixth ton in 11 appearances since the turn of the year, equalling an England record previously shared by Denis Compton and Michael Vaughan.
Follow Us
England batsman Dawid Malan has hailed skipper Joe Root as a legend of the longest format, following a fantastic 121 off 165 deliveries on the opening day of the third Test against India. Root smashed 14 boundaries at a strike rate of 73.33 to put the visitors under pressure. The England skipper’s 121 at Headingley marked his sixth ton in 11 appearances since the turn of the year. This equalled an record shared by Denis Compton and Michael Vaughan for the nation.
“He is phenomenal isn’t he? He just scores runs all the time. You look at all the best players that have played – all the greats, if you want to put it that way – and as soon as you miss your line and your length, they hurt you. Joe is one of those,” said Malan.
“It’s great to watch and it’s great to have the best seat in the house when he does play as well as that. It’s the ease of what he does and the speed at which he does it. He just moves his feet so well and his position when he hits the ball is so good…he hits the ball so much later than most people. Always looks to score with intent, you know if you bowl a bad ball he just puts you away,” he added.
Root has an aggregate of 1,398 runs since the turn of the year at an average of 69.90. The 30-year-old Yorkshireman has also scored three centuries in a row in the current five-match series. The England skipper’s century on Day 1 of the third Test has seen England reach a score of 423-8, earning a lead of 345 runs so far against an Indian side who were knocked out for 78.
While Malan was impressive as well scoring a half-century, the English batsman refused to discuss further opportunities in the longest format considering the impact of COVID on the selection process. The English cricketer will be looking to make his presence felt when Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 resumes in the UAE.
“The only guarantee we have at the moment is IPL – we don’t know if we’re going to the World Cup and we don’t know if we’re going to the Ashes, so it leaves us in quite a tough situation,” he said.
“Say you give up the IPL and you don’t get picked for either of the England squads, then you’ve given up the IPL. Or if you go to the IPL and then you get selected after you’ve gone to the IPL then you’re sat in the bubble for five and a half months. Hopefully we can get some answers and we can find some time to get a rest out of these bubbles,” added Malan.
Haseeb Hameed was similarly full of praise for Root, having delivered an impressive performance himself.
“There’s so much you can learn from Rooty. Not only in this game but the way he’s been batting in this series has been of the highest class. The simplicity with which he plays is something that stands out for me. Obviously, he’s got so much time, which everyone looks for in a batsman. That’s from years and years of practice.”
“The way he keeps things simple and the way he prepares and is so diligent with the way he goes about his business. Not only that, from a mental point of view, for him to turn up in every single innings and start and bat the way he has done, shows you that he’s very hungry as well – which is something every young player can look at,” added Hameed.
Rishabh Pant's explosive last-over blitz ignites IPL 2024 amid T20 World Cup comeback talks
