Joe Root scored his seventh Test century, rescuing England from 43 for 3 and helping them to a secure 343 for 7 against Australia on Day One of the first Ashes 2015 Test at Cardiff. Shiamak Unwalla feels Root’s 134 makes yet another case for him to bat higher than No. 5.
If Joe Root got a penny for every time he rescued England from a tricky situation, he would probably be the richest man in the English side. He continued his trend of playing fire-fighter in the first Ashes 2015 Test at Cardiff — albeit after being dropped by Brad Haddin off the second ball he faced. UPDATES: Ashes 2015 England vs Australia, 1st Test Day 1
Australia did not bowl particularly well. If they had, they would probably have been batting by stumps. Adam Lyth got a leading edge off an innocuous Josh Hazlewood delivery to gully. Alastair Cook tried to cut and ended up nicking a straightforward delivery from Nathan Lyon to Haddin. Ian Bell got a good swinging yorker from Mitchell Starc, but never looked settled. ALSO READ: Ashes 2015 England vs Australia, 1st Test Day 1 report
England were 43 for 3 when Root walked out. They were 280 for 5 when he was dismissed. He made 134 out of the 237 runs scored while he was at the crease. Gary Ballance and Ben Stokes deserve credit for hanging weathering a torrid start and settling down, but it was Root who turned the game around.
Root made 33 off 24 deliveries in the first session. He took England to 88 for 3 at lunch. He clamped down a bit in the second session, but never did he take a foot off the pedal. He and Ballance ensured Australia went wicketless in the second session, remaining unbeaten on 93 at tea.
He finally scored his seventh Test century — the sixth-fastest Ashes ton by an Englishman — and helped England reach a position of strength, given that they were 43 for 3 in the first session. The question arises though, would they have been better off had Root come in at No. 3 or 4? ALSO READ: Joe Root scores sixth-fastest Ashes century
Root has played a majority of his matches at No. 5 but has proven capable in the few occasions he has batted up the order. Given the inconsistency of England’s current top four it would make a lot of sense for Root to bat up the order. Bell is clearly in poor form, and Ballance might not be well equipped to face a swinging ball too early. Root’s technique is solid; his temperament is beyond doubt. One feels that by batting in the top four, he will be able to arrest a slide before it even occurs.
Perhaps if Root was batting higher, England would not have been 43 for 3, and consequently not have been 343 for 7 at stumps. It is something England ought to ponder on quickly. The age-old idea of the best batsman facing most balls will make a lot of sense. If England want to regain The Ashes, Root is doubtlessly going to play a big role. He is being wasted down the order; it is time he is given a deserved run at the top.
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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