'Not a tour about me making 100' - Joe Root opens up on significant feat during upcoming Ashes series

With England preparing for the blockbuster Ashes series in Australia starting November 21, star batter Joe Root has spoken about the challenge. Despite being one of the most prolific Test batters of his generation, Root is yet to score a century Down Under. But for him, the upcoming tour is not about personal milestones but more about winning the Ashes.

Root’s record in Australia has been brilliant without the big breakthrough. In 14 Tests across Australian soil, he has scored 892 runs at an average of 35.68, registering nine fifties but falling short of the three-figure mark. His best remains 89, with three scores in the 80s. During England’s last tour in 2021–22, Root was the team's top run-getter with 322 runs, though it came in a 4-0 defeat.

In the Ashes context, Root has scored 2,428 runs in 34 Tests, including four centuries; as he stands 17th on the all-time Ashes run charts. At home in 2023, he was impressive again, scoring 412 runs at an average of 51.50. The right-handed batter brushed aside the talk about his personal milestones.

"This tour is not about me making 100. It is about us going and winning an Ashes series. As an experienced player, if I go out and make big scores and big 100s, then that gives us a great opportunity to go and do that. It is understanding that role within the team, building those big scores together as a group, like we have done over the course of the summer and the last couple of years. Then, hopefully, that leads to winning cricket games. If personal accolades come along, then fine," he told on Sky Sports.

We're going out there with a different team, a different mentality: Root

Meanwhile, under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, England’s “Bazball” approach has changed their cricket. Root believes this shift gives England a new approach.

"It's a big series like that against a side that have got a great record at home, especially against us previously. We're going out there with a different team, a different mentality, a different way of playing and have played some good cricket of late. Hopefully that stands us in good stead, and we can put across some really good performances and hopefully create some history," he added.

Ben Stokes (C), Harry Brook (VC), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.