Former India opener Aakash Chopra lavished praise on Joe Root after the Englishman scored 176 runs and helped England beat New Zealand in the second Test at Trent Bridge. This was Root’s 10th Test century since the beginning of 2021, a duration of time in which none of the other three members of the “fab four” — a term coined for Root, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, and Steve Smith — have been able to score a single one between them. In all, this was Root’s 27th Test ton, matching Kohli’s tally. (Also Read | 'I want him to focus more on his batting than his position': Nehra's crucial advice to India youngster amid rough patch)
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Chopra underlined that when Kohli scored his 27th ton, Root had been on a total of 17. He said on his YouTube channel: “The rest of the Fab Four are stuck where they were there earlier, whether it is Steve Smith or Kane Williamson, no one has added even one century since then and he has hit ten."
Chopra also elaborated on how he thinks Root has been far and away the best batter in Test cricket over the last two years, performing with consistency and having a weight of runs that any other Test batter has failed to produce.
“You have to admit, Joe Root is the best Test batter in the world, there is no one close to him,” continued Chopra. “He scores so many runs in England, where batting is not easy. First innings, second innings, first Test, second Test, India, Sri Lanka, he scores runs everywhere.”
"Root is unbreakable and the spirits of the ones in front of him are down. He is brilliant, outstanding. He scores so many runs in England, where batting is not easy, first innings, second innings, first Test, second Test, India, Sri Lanka - he scores runs everywhere."
{{/usCountry}}"Root is unbreakable and the spirits of the ones in front of him are down. He is brilliant, outstanding. He scores so many runs in England, where batting is not easy, first innings, second innings, first Test, second Test, India, Sri Lanka - he scores runs everywhere."
{{/usCountry}}Root crossed the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket during the opening Test against New Zealand, the first of the fab four, and interestingly the joint youngest English batter to do so alongside Alastair Cook, both having reached the mark at 31 years and 157 days.