'Above everyone' - Saba Karim reckons Joe Root far ahead of other 'Fab Four' batters

Former England skipper Joe Root played an excellent knock of 115* runs during the first Test match played between England and New Zealand. As a result, his side went on to win the match by five wickets and take a lead of 1-0 in a three-match Test series.

After Root’s excellent hundred, the talented batter has been receiving praise from all corners of the cricketing fraternity. Adding one more list to the name, former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selector Saba Karim has lauded Root’s effort with the bat in the first Test match.

It must be noted that Root recently became the second England player to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test format after Alastair Cook. As per Karim, Root’s brilliance with the bat has put him above everyone in the ‘Fab Four’, an unofficial elite club consisting of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, and New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson.  

He has gone far ahead: Sabar Karim on Joe Root

“He has gone far ahead. If we see England’s batting, only Joe Root’s name is coming up again and again. It means Joe Root has not got support from the other end. If we talk about India, with Virat Kohli there is always support like KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant among others. That is the situation in New Zealand and Australia too. Even in overseas conditions like in India or in Sri Lanka, Root has singlehandedly won England matches,” Karim said in an interview to India News Sports.

“Joe Root has left the other three batters far behind in the last two years. Whether we talk about consistency, technique, or temperament, in all these aspects Joe Root is above everyone at the moment.  If somebody is batting well in the fourth innings, it shows that the guy is strong both technically and mentally,” Karim added.

After winning the first Test match, the Three Lions will now take on New Zealand in the second Test match of the series, starting on June 10.