Top 3 best performances of Joe Root in Tests

Modern cricket has some batting maestros who make this game a treat to watch and Joe Root is one of those modern batting maestros. He has been an absolute legend of England cricket and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats to grace this game with his excellence. In this article, we will focus on Joe Root’s batting heroics in Test cricket. 

#1. 254 vs Pakistan, 2016

Joe Root played the best knock of his test career at Old Trafford against Pakistan in 2016. The English captain Alastair Cook won the toss and opted to bat first. England lost their first wicket in the form of Alex Hales’ dismissal but Joe Root pitched his camp in front of Pakistan bowlers. He stitched a 185-run long partnership with the skipper to give England a great start in the second match of the test series. After Cook’s departure, Root formed small partnerships with multiple batters and progressed the innings to a solid total of 589 runs. The right-handed top-order batter ended up with 254 runs which still is the best batting figure in his test career. 

#2. 228 vs Sri Lanka, 2021

Hitting massive centuries in subcontinent conditions is one of the biggest pursuits for batters from non-Asian countries. Joe Root ticked this box in 2021 when he smashed a double-century against Sri Lanka in the first match of the test series at Galle. The English bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 135 runs in the first innings. In Sri Lanka’s reply, Joe Root led the English batter to a huge lead which consolidated England’s position in the game. This first innings performance helped England register a comprehensive victory in the match. 

#3. 226 vs New Zealand, 2019

This is another double century which was made by the English captain at that time, Joe Root, against New Zealand at Hamilton in 2019. The Kiwis had accumulated a challenging score in the first innings and posed a tough task for English batters. Captain Root stepped up for his team and played a brilliant innings to help England get the lead in the first innings. The match ultimately ended in a draw and Root was given the player of the match award for his double ton in the first innings.