Ed Hawkins on The Ashes: Root personifies another England revamp

Ed Hawkins
26 June 2015

Root has emerged as one of the best in the world

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Our cricket correspondent profiles England's run machine and argues that he won't be beaten by his team-mates for top series batting honours in the Ashes...

"In the last 12 months only Steve Smith and Younis Khan have scored more than Root's 1,059 runs at an average of 81"

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Back Joe Root for top England Ashes runscorer at 3.7511/4

If England's transformation from a dour limited overs side to one of the most exciting in the world happened in a flash, with a crashed six here and a thrashed 300 there, there has been another change in their game over the last 18 months which has not made as much fanfare.

England have revamped their batting in Test cricket. Just as well with an Ashes series beginning at Sophia Gardens on Wednesday week. That they are such a big chance - 5.14/1 and counting - for victory suggests it has been a quiet revolution which few have noticed.

The catalyst came in Sydney, January 2014. They had just lost five-zip to Australia in humiliating and harrowing circumstances. They failed to pass 200 more than four times and only one Englishman (Ben Stokes) made a century to Australia's six (who made ten tons between them).

We all know what happened next. Kevin Pietersen was sacked. His supporters cried foul - and haven't stopped since - while Michael Carberry and Matt Prior disappeared in time, too. Jonathan Trott, who started that series, eventually resigned himself to the fact his international career was over.

A major rebuild was required and England have gone about their business diligently and impressively. Not that they have shouted about it. Instead Cook and Peter Moores, another victim, have had to field the repetitive and tiresome Pietersen question.

They could have muted their inquisitors by asking who, exactly, should make way for a returning Pietersen? Was it the run machine Joe Root? Gary Ballance who averages 56 since that Sydney Test? Or the bombproof Ian Bell? It is an uncomfortable fact for Pietersen that since he left, England have not missed him.

After the end of the Ashes debacle England are posting 399 or more, on average, every three innings. The emergence of Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali have given England one of their strongest middle-to-lower orders for some time.

No-one has personified new England more than Root. He was dropped for the Sydney Test after averaging only 27 in the series. He had been shunted up and down the order since he made his Test debut two years previously and Australia had exposed his backfoot game. Root's career was under threat.

Not that he seemed to notice. In the last 12 months only Steve Smith and Younis Khan have scored more than 1,059 runs at an average of 81. England have played a couple more games than most teams but it is also noticeable how Alastair Cook and Ballance make the top ten at Nos 7 and 8 respectively. It's a little cheeky to highlight but Smith and David Warner are the only Australians in the top 29.

Root is a short jolly at 3.7511/4 for top England honours in the Ashes. Should he be shorter? Arguably. He has outscored all of his team-mates in three of the last four series.

His biggest rival is the redoubtable Ballance who has been harshly criticised recently. He debuted in Sydney and so successful has he been that the dip he has suffered has been seized on as a major slump. It's unfair.

Ballance has followed where his Yorkshire team-mate Root has led. In each of the series Root has topped the run charts, Ballance has been right behind him, never more than 58 away. He is an inflated 7.613/2 and there are worse bets to be had.

Whereas Root had issues on the back foot, Ballance has struggled on the front foot. New Zealand made him look tentative coming forward and Australia's bowlers will hope to exploit the weakness unless he has solved it.

Cook is 4.57/2. He has also been resurgent and heavy footwork which characterised his struggles, betraying uncertainty and lack of confidence, have been replaced by lighter feet. He has an average of 58 in the last 12 months.

Stokes will be a popular wager at 10.09/1, particularly because he attacked the Aussies Down Under and finished third in the lists despite playing a Test less. Buttler and Moeen are 13.012/1 and 16.015/1 respectively.

For either of those two to be considered value, however, we would have to argue that England's top order will be blown away. With Root firmly embedded as one of the world's best batsmen, that looks unlikely.

Recommended Bet
Back Joe Root for top England Ashes runscorer at 3.7511/4

England top series runscorers since last Ashes - v New Zealand: 309 A Cook, 228 B Stokes, 183 J Root; v West Indies: 358 J Root, 331 G Ballance, 268 A Cook; v India: 518 J Root, 503 G Ballance, 298 A Cook; v Sri Lanka: 259 J Root, 201 G Ballance, 171 S Robson.

Check out Ed's tips for the top Aussie batsman market

Ed Hawkins P/L

2015: +£202.90
2014: +315.10
2013: +250.80
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