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England star batter Joe Root is confident about putting his batting woes aside when it comes to the Ashes in Australia and score his maiden hundred. He has so far participated in three Ashes tours and though has recorded nine 50+ scores, he has so far not been able to record a triple-digit score on the Australian pitches. His current highest individual score there is 89 that came during the Brisbane Test in Ashes 2021/22.
Root's improvement in form since leaving captaincy
However, a thing to consider here is that Root also had the responsibility of leading the side during his previous two Ashes tours. Ever since leaving the role, Root's numbers in the longest format have improved drastically and he has scored almost 4,000 runs in 44 Tests. The 34-year-old himself pointed out how he doesn't have to captain the side anymore and stated that he is in a "different place".
"I feel I am in a different place to when I last went out there. I haven't got the responsibility of captaincy and I am a lot more experienced. I have had a good couple of years coming in and I have learned good lessons from my previous tours there as a batter and senior player," Root said, speaking on Sky Sports.
Root further stated that he himself knows that there is going to be a lot of talk about his form in Australia heading into the series, but he highlighted how his aim is to make lifelong memories with the other players of the team.
"I am sure there is going to be a lot of talk around [me not scoring a hundred as of yet] but I feel ready for it. Big series are the ones you want to play in and contribute in. You want to create memories with the guys that you can share for the rest of your lives. I feel that is the opportunity in front of us that we have to chase and grab," Root stated.
"If I am doing my role in the team then personal accolades will come but it's not the main focus. It's about winning that urn back as it has been a long time since we held it. I feel we have some serious resources to take out there and hit Australia with. Hopefully we can get that right so if I am scoring heavily it gives us a chance," he further added.
England's squad for The Ashes: Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook (vice-captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.
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