"Australia are yet to witness the Joe Root who flowed with such grace and style and scored so dominantly last summer" - Michael Atherton
Former England captain Michael Atherton has reflected on how Joe Root is a transformed batsman from the 2017-18 Ashes series Down Under. Michael Atherton strongly feels the Australian public will see a more accomplished player in the upcoming series, starting on December 8th.
Root, the England skipper, is perhaps in the form of his life and is the lynchpin of their batting unit. The right-handed batter has accumulated 1455 runs in 12 Tests in 2021 at 66.14, and has scored a staggering six centuries. However, he is yet to reach three figures in Australia in Test cricket and the upcoming Ashes could be his moment.
Writing in his column for the Times, Michael Atherton believes Root will come to Australia this time with a different aura, buoyed by a truckload of runs. He expects the England captain to continue his prolific run this year and inspire others to contribute. Atherton wrote:
"If the Australian public got a glimpse that Root’s baby face does not reflect his toughness on that day in Sydney four years ago, as he vainly tried to stave off defeat with the mercury touching 44C, then they have not yet seen the best of him as a batsman. They have yet to witness the player who flowed with such grace and style and scored so dominantly last summer.
"If Root is to seize this second opportunity — and surely his last — as a leader here, then he is likely to need to be somewhere near his best. Root has it in him to play like that and if he can find this path against a top-class Australian attack, he can inspire others to follow."
Root infamously could not bat in the fifth and final Test in Sydney. The Yorkshire batter retired not out following a fifty, owing to exhaustion because of extreme heat. He was later hospitalized and James Anderson had to complete media duties.
"Root has made a significant change to his game since he last faced Cummins" - Michael Atherton
Opining on his duel with Australian captain Pat Cummins, Atherton is looking forward to it as he observes Root's technical tweaks to counter the speedster.
"The contest between Root, now vastly experienced as a captain even if he occasionally gives the impression of still wearing his L plates, and Pat Cummins, new to the job, will be fascinating. Root has made a significant technical change to his game since he last faced Cummins, staying more leg side of the ball to open up his favoured areas square and behind square on the off-side."
Atherton added:
"Fluency and that famed ability to tick along almost unnoticed returned last summer as a result and he looked better for it, but the extra bounce in Australia’s pitches will bring some challenges if he maintains the alteration."
Although Root was England's second-highest run-getter in the 2017-18 Ashes series, he couldn't deliver impactful performances. The right-handed batter managed five fifties that failed to wrest control completely for England in any Test.