Former Australian captain Ian Chappell said that Joe Root’s skills as a red-ball batter would be tested when he faces India and Australia in
the home and away series’, respectively. According to him, India and Australia possess the best bowling attacks in the longer format at present. On the other hand, Root is the leading run-getter in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

Referring to the Test series against India and Australia, he wrote: “Root’s phenomenal run-making will again be tested when first he faces India at home and then Australia away. In those two series Root will be facing the best attacks in Test cricket, and his technique against both pace and spin will again be fully scrutinised. “Those are difficult challenges that Root and England will face in the future. Currently they’re desperately involved in a bid to win after Pakistan levelled their three-game series with a spin-revolution victory against a clueless England.”

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While Joe Root has a great Test record in most nations, he is yet to score a hundred in Australia in the Test. In 27 Test innings in Australia, the former England captain has smashed 892 runs at an average of 35.68, with nine half-centuries to his credit.

“In Australia, the four main bowlers have dismissed Root a number of times and this could be pointed to as a weakness. Nevertheless there’s an easy answer: if you’re going to be dismissed, it’s preferable to get out to a good bowler. The more worrying Root statistic in Australia is the number of times he’s been caught behind. Keepers have had a bonanza as ten times they’ve clasped Root’s edges in just 27 innings. While he could counter with “you’ve got to be good enough to nick ’em”, it does suggest he needs to re-assess the extra bounce Australian pitches provide,” Ian Chappell concluded.