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Ashes battle heats up after Australian tabloid takes aim at 'average' Joe Root: 'Homeland hero, pretender here'
Australian tabloid have begun mind games as Joe Root comes under fire. Here's what the nasty headline reads.
The battle lines have been drawn, and the Ashes between Australia and England is expected to be a fiery contest. Australian media is known for being critical of visiting teams, and it was only a matter of time before the English team, led by Ben Stokes, came under scrutiny. Joe Root, inarguably the best Test batter in the world, is all set to have an intense Test in the five-match series as he looks to turn a corner Down Under. Root is yet to score a Test century in Australia, and hence it is no surprise that all eyes are on the experienced right-handed batter.
As Joe Root landed in Australia for the upcoming marquee series, beginning November 21 in Perth, an Australian tabloid, West Australian, let it rip, taking aim at the 34-year-old. Root has been in exceptional form since 2020, and he's chasing Sachin Tendulkar's record for most runs in the longest format.
Root is a proven performer all around the world, barring Australia. His record Down Under leaves a lot to be desired. In 14 matches and 27 innings, Root has managed just 892 runs at an average of 35.68, with his highest score being 89. In Australia, he has scored nine half-centuries. He has registered 91 boundaries in Australia, but has failed to hit a single six.
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It's fair to say that the Australian media has a lot of ammunition as they try to create pressure on England's best batter. And the build-up to the Ashes opener in Perth is expected to get a lot nastier, considering what the West Australian had to say.
The West Australian's headline read, “Average Joe.” The tabloid further described his exploits Down Under, saying, “Dud Root Down Under: Hero in the homeland but pretender in Australia. The stats that haunt England's greatest batter ahead of Ashes showdown.”
Root was recently England's leading run-scorer in the five-match Test series against India, scoring 537 runs at an average of 67.12 in nine innings. Root has 13,543 runs in Tests, and is almost 2500 runs away from the leading run-scorer, Tendulkar.
Ben Stokes also copes criticism
Ever since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over, England are yet to win a Test series against Australia or India. The Bazball approach hasn't yielded series wins against the Big Two, and it would be interesting to see whether England can turn it around in the Ashes.
England's last series Down Under came in 2010-11 under the captaincy of Sir Andrew Strauss. The Three Lions last won the Ashes in 2015, but Australia regained the urn in the 2017-18 series after registering a 4-0 win.
Earlier, the West Australian had also taken aim at England captain Stokes, labelling him, “Cocky captain complainer.”
"England's cocky captain complainer still smarting from 'crease-gate', lands in Perth early thinking dopey 'Bazball' can take the Ashes," the West Australian stated.
The Ashes 2025-26 will be played across Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Australia will be without Pat Cummins for the series opener, and Steve Smith will lead the side in his absence.
