Despite his greatness, Joe Root faces more uncomfortable scrutiny in Australia after opening day Ashes duck

Joe Root faces more uncomfortable scrutiny in Australia after opening day Ashes duck (AP Photo)

There is little doubt that Joe Root is one of the all-time greats. By the time he stows his bat away for the final time, he may have gone past Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most Test runs (15,921). And only Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45) and Ricky Ponting (41) have scored more centuries in the longest format than Root’s 39. But 13 years into his illustrious career, there remains one big blot on the Root resume – his record in Australia.

Part of the mystique around Tendulkar and Virat Kohli is undoubtedly because of their record in Australia. Tendulkar made six centuries in the 20 Tests he played Down Under, while Kohli scripted seven three-figure knocks in just 18 matches. In sharp contrast, Root has a highest score of 89 from 15 Tests in Australia. His average there (34.30) is way below what it is elsewhere (52.93).

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At the Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday, on the opening day of the Ashes, Root lasted seven balls before being squared up by a Mitchell Starc delivery that he could only edge to Marnus Labuschagne in the slip cordon. It was his third duck in Australia, following his failure to open his account in Brisbane and Sydney in the 2021-22 series.

Prior to the start of the series, along with all the usual predictions and trash talk, much had been said about Root and that record in Australia. After three consecutive years (2023-25) when he has averaged well over 50 and with 22 hundreds since cricket resumed after Covid-19, it was widely predicted that Root would set the record straight in Australia.

Instead, this latest failure will pile on the pressure. Australians – players, fans and media alike – will not be short of an opinion next time he walks out to bat. What will worry Root and England far more than the chatter, however, is the knowledge that this was the ninth time he had been dismissed by Starc. What’s worse, the two legends set to return to the Australian fold later in the series – Pat Cummins (11) and Josh Hazlewood (10) – have got him out even more.

Root’s dismissal put England on the back foot at 39-3, and they were indebted to a 55-run stand between Ollie Pope (46) and Harry Brook (52) for giving the scorecard a modicum of respectability. Starc stole the show though, with 7/58 as England’s Bazball crashed and burned after lunch. The last five wickets fell for 12 runs inside three overs.