Veteran England batter Joe Root slammed his 30th Test century on Day 1 of the Edgbaston Test against Australia in the Ashes 2023 series. One of the highlights of his innings was a reverse sweep that has stunned fans.
Veteran England batter Joe Root slammed his 30th Test century on Day 1 of the first Test against Australia at the Ashes 2023 series in Edgbaston, sparking massive excitement among fans. The 32-year-old right-handed batter, who has been the backbone of the Three Lions since the departure of Sir Alastair Cook, reached the milestone off 145 deliveries.
Over the years, Root has developed a reputation as a batter who displays resolve, perseverance, and style while launching the most aggressive of shots. And one such moment that left fans stunned came when the England batter hit a reverse sweep for a six against Scott Boland.
"Joe Root is a freak," noted one fan on Twitter, while another added, "Weird how England have re-invented test cricket in this generation and haven’t yet featured in any of the WTC finals."
A third fan stated, "This is fearless cricket. They don’t play for their statistics but for their team," while a fourth added, "Rishabh Pant would have a big smile on his face!"
Root has scored more than 1000 runs in a single calendar year four times and more than 700+ runs five times, with the exception of the 2020 season, when the former England captain smashed 464 runs in eight Tests.
Before the first Test of the the Ashes 2023 series, the Yorkshire-born had amassed 11,004 runs at an average of 50.24 in 130 Tests, including 29 centuries and 58 fifties. Since 2021 alone, Root has scored 12 tons and 3,181 runs in 33 Tests.
Out of Root's 29 centuries, 20 have resulted in England's win, while two have come in losses, and seven ended up in draws.
On Day 1 of the Edgbaston Test, England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat first. Opener Zak Crawley scored a splendid 61 off 73 balls, however, the hosts struggled as they lost Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Ben Stokes in quick succession. At 176 for 5, England were struggling, but Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow put up a much-needed partnership. Australian spinner Nathan Lyon took the important wicket of Bairstow (78 runs of 78 balls) and broke the partnership that threatened to take England to a massive total.
While England fans will hope that Joe Root continues to add more runs to the overall tally, the Aussies will be eager to come out to bat and put up a massive total in response.
Also read: The Ashes 2023: 10 players to watch out for in epic England vs Australia clash
