Joe Root is “not too concerned” about his recent modest returns with the bat, saying he has “14,000 runs for a reason”.
Captain Root, England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer, has passed 50 only twice this summer. An average of 29.44 is his second-lowest in a home season in a 14-year international career.
The 35-year-old has been lbw nine times in his past seven Tests, including on seven occasions this summer.
But Root pointed to the challenge faced by all batters against the moving ball in the UK this summer and his own remarkable Test career. Only India great Sachin Tendulkar has more than the Yorkshireman’s 14,208 runs.
“I’ve played this game a long time and I’ve always found ways of solving those problems and working it through,” Root told the BBC’s Today at the Test. “I don’t see this as being any different.
“There’s a reason why I’ve got 14,000 runs and a reason why I’ve played the best part of 15 years at this level.
“Of course it’s frustrating that there’s sort of a trend. There are probably four umpires’ calls within that, which could have gone the other way, and the ball is probably deviating more than it ever has.
“You try and be realistic and understand where everything’s at, but also be aware of what you need to do to keep improving and keep getting better. I’m pretty sure I’ll get through the other side. I’m not too concerned about that.”
Last summer, former Australia opener David Warner took a dig at Root’s prospects of success in the Ashes series that was to follow when he said: “He will have to take the surfboard off his front leg.”
At the time, Warner’s suggestion Root had an lbw problem was incorrect. In a run that began in August 2022 and ended with the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne in December, Root was lbw to seam bowlers in Test cricket on only three occasions.
However, Root’s recent run of leg-before dismissals began when he was trapped by Australia’s Jhye Richardson in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test. Since then he has been lbw nine times in 12 innings, all to pace bowlers.
Root’s specific problem has been against right-arm bowlers, pitching the ball outside off stump and nipping it back towards him.
Of the nine dismissals in his run of lbws, none have come at the hands of bowlers with high pace, rather those with a maximum speed of around 84mph.
“You’re never given anything in this game,” said Root. “You have to work for everything. You have to keep working hard and I’ll certainly keep doing that.
“You’re constantly going to get challenged and you’re constantly going to have to look to evolve and learn, but that’s never been something I’ve shied away from and I certainly won’t be doing moving forward.”
Root not only highlighted the difficulty of conditions, but also suggested batting is being made harder by what he perceived to be a different technique employed by ball manufacturers Dukes.
“The balls have been different this summer,” he said. “I think there is a different lacquer. They were worried about it going out of shape. They are denting surfaces more.”
When contacted by the BBC, Dukes denied any alteration to its process.
Root was backed to solve the lbw issue by former England captain Michael Vaughan, who said: “He’s always overcome problems and I’m pretty sure he’ll overcome this one.
“It is an issue because it’s happening on a regular basis, but he’s had issues in the past that he’s managed to come back from. There’s no question he’ll be fine in time.”
