‘It's got to be a mental thing’ – Ricky Ponting on the learnings Joe Root can imbibe from Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting said that Joe Root can take cues from Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to improve his batting. Although England have strained to find their feet in the ongoing Ashes, Root has given an account of his stupendous self. After fetching a nine-ball duck in the first innings of the Brisbane Test, Root has responded with back-to-back half-centuries.

However, Root has flirted with deliveries outside the off-stump, showing signs of impatience and lack in concentration. Ponting was of the option that Root doesn’t have any issues with his batting technique, but needs to be a little more precise in shot selections.

Ricky Ponting shares his opinions

“It’s got to be a mental thing. There’s no technical error in his last two dismissals that has led to him getting out. It’s got to be him being not quite switched on enough for the ball he’s got out to. Marnus and Smith are really good examples of how they can find a way to be so switched on for so long,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.

“It is a concentration thing with Joe and captaincy probably doesn’t help either, (spending) long periods of time in the field when your team is not going so well. They haven’t gone so well of late with their Test results. All of those things take a toll on you,” he stated.

“He spent one and three quarters of a day in the field before he went into bat. I know that’s Test cricket and everyone’s been there before but you’re probably more likely to make a mistake having fielded for two days than going out fresh,” Ponting added.

Root has been a fulcrum of the England Test batting lineup for quite a few years. Currently, playing his 11th Test on Australian soil, the right-handed batter has notched 721 runs at an average of 40.05 with a top score of 89.

As far as England are concerned, they lost the Brisbane Test by nine wickets to start their Ashes sojourn on a horrendous note. The Three Lions have also struggled in the Day Night Adelaide Test where they conceded a 237-run first innings lead to the Aussies.