Joe Root with his twin tons during the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lords has surpassed former England player Alastair Cook and is continuing to get closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most runs as a Test batsman. However, the debate also continues to rumble on among between Root and contemporary batters.
While Adam Gilchrist has opted for Virat Kohli in both white-ball formats over Root as a better batter, when it came to the traditional format the former Australia player picked Root over Kohli given the English batter’s form in the last few years. “In the last short while. Over a long period, Joe Root’s stats are…, well he’s the best England has ever had,” Gilchrist said on Club Prairie Fire Podcast.
However, Root despite having tons of runs under his back Australia has been one place where he could not stamp his authority. He has yet to score a ton Down Under. Kohli on the other hand has had some of his memorable knocks in Australia and Gilchrist would say Kohli’s ton in Perth in 2018 on a greenish wicket was the best he has seen. “Virat scored one of the best tons I’ve seen at the Perth stadium in the first Test match ever played there, that was probably different gravy. I’d probably say Virat.”
However former England player Michael Vaughan would agree that Kohli against Australia in Australia is a better pick but anywhere else in the world, he would go for Root as his choice. “I wouldn’t argue with that in Australia. I would say Virat in Australia against the Aussies, anywhere else I’m going Joe Root,” Michael Vaughan said.
Root is also the second youngest batter behind compatriot Alastair Cook to reach 12,000 Test runs, completing the feat aged 33 years and 210 days. Former India captain Rahul Dravid was the oldest batter to cross the mark at 37 years 339 days. Root also eclipsed West Indies batting legend Brian Lara’s tally of 11,953 runs during his knock.
