Star England veteran Joe Root averages a paltry 35.68 across 14 Tests in Australia, and the pressure will be on him to produce an Ashes century in Perth
Joe Root isn’t irked by the fact he hasn’t scored a century in Australia, but it will be a welcome “tiny” reward if the star England veteran can finally end that hoodoo during the upcoming Ashes series.
Root enters the first Test in Perth, starting Friday, ranked as the No.1 ICC Test batsman and with a mountain of runs under his belt.
The 34-year-old has scored 39 Test centuries and boasts an average of 51.29 in the long form of the game.
Root’s form over the past 18 months has been particularly impressive, with the 158-Test veteran producing three centuries in the recent drawn series against India.
But for a man who has achieved so much, the one glaring omission is a century in Australia.
Across 27 Test innings Down Under, Root has posted 892 runs at a paltry average of 35.68.
Big questions are already being asked about whether Root is up to the task of finally cracking a century in Australia, and his scores of one and 31 in the three-day warm-up match hardly set pulses racing.
But his teammates are doing their best to play down Root’s lack of success in Australia.
“To be honest I haven’t felt it has grated on him at all,” England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith said.
“Really, his record in the last couple of years and across his career has been amazing. There’s no denying that.
“I think that (scoring a century here) would be just like a tiny thing – that if he can come away with 100, he’d feel great.
“But he’s already said he wants to contribute to the team, and what he has contributed to the team since I’ve come in, and before then, it’s been amazing.”
Smith said Root’s experience was invaluable given the current squad is lined with many players who have never played a Test in Australia.
“(He’s) very calming,” Smith said.
“He’s played in all conditions multiple times now, and for guys like me that haven’t played out here, it’s great to tap his brain of what might work, what doesn’t work, and just them little extra things that make you feel at ease as well.
“He’s one of the most helpful people you can have offering advice, any little tips and stuff he has.
“He’s willing to share with everyone, and he’s an amazing person to have.”
England haven’t won a Test series in Australia since 2010/11, and they will start as underdogs despite the hosts missing Pat Cummins (back) and Josh Hazlewood (hamstring) for the first Test.
2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes
First Test: November 21-25, Perth Stadium, 1:20pm AEDT
Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3pm AEDT
Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT
Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT
Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT
Australia squad (first Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood
