Steve Smith praised Joe Rootโs recent form but noted his lack of a Test century in Australia, calling it a goal Root likely wants to achieve. Ricky Ponting called the stat an anomaly, praising Rootโs evolution into a great through consistency and adaptability.
With the Ashes series just months away, the spotlight has begun to shift towards key rivalries, and one that continues to draw attention is Joe Rootโs ongoing pursuit of a Test century on Australian soil. Root, who recently starred in Englandโs series against India in the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, remains without a hundred in Australia despite having played 27 innings there.
Australian star Steve Smith, speaking to Sky Sports Cricket, acknowledged Rootโs remarkable form in recent years, but noted the glaring absence of a century Down Under in the English batterโs record. However, the former Australia skipper believes that it is something that Root will be eager to tick off his bucket list in the forthcoming season.
โIn the last two years, he has been incredible. His ability to make big scores- to go from 50 to a hundred- which was one thing he, you know, he got caught in that 50 to 100 spot for quite a while. Now, heโs just making it count and going on and making huge scores. He hasnโt scored a 100 in Australia, thatโs being talked about quite a lot. I am sure that is something that he wants to tick off his bucket list,โ Smith said on Sky Sports.
Smith added that Australian conditions could once again prove challenging for batters, especially those at the top of the order. โLike I said, itโll be tricky for batting, tricky for top order batters so from an Australian point of view, hopefully he does not get a 100 this time, but I know heโll be working hard for it, thatโs for sure,โ Smith said.
What Root has done the past five years is extraordinary: Ponting
Rootโs recent form has been exceptional. He amassed 534 runs in five Tests against India earlier this year, including three centuries. He climbed the ladder and surpassed Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second-leading run-scorer in Test cricket history. In the meantime, addressing Rootโs lack of centuries on Australian soil, Ponting believes that itโs an โanomalyโ in an otherwise outstanding career.
โWhat heโs done the past five years is extraordinary. Look at the numbers: heโs got 13,500 runs. I rank players on how long they can stay at the top of their powers. You can be a great player for 30 to 40 games but can you do it for 150 games? Joe probably wasnโt a great player for his first 100 games โ he had 17 hundreds in 97 Tests โ but heโs turned into a great player. He has got 21 hundreds in his past 60 games,โ Ponting had said to The Times.