Stats: Joe Root has scored at least one 50 in each Test against India

When you talk about class and temperament among the current crop of batsmen around the world you are bound to name Joe Root who has become the mainstay of the England batting order and oozes class with every shot that he plays. Ever since making his debut against India in the 2012 series, Root has slowly turned into Mr. Dependable for England and has bailed them from precarious situations on numerous occasions.

Over the past 4 years, he has made the No.3 position his own and has provided the solidity in the middle order. Apart from Root and Jonny Bairstow the middle order lacks stability and it has been evident from the performances England has put up in the recent past. They lost a Test match against Bangladesh very recently and drew the Test series against Pakistan 2-2 in their own territory. Despite the hiccups, Root has been a pillar in the middle order and has scored runs irrespective of the oppositions and pitches.

He has enjoyed batting especially against India and has a stupendous record in Tests and has scored at least a fifty in each of the Test matches he has played against the subcontinent giants in the longest format. He started off his Test career with a fluent unbeaten 73 in Nagpur in 2012 and immediately looked like someone who belonged at the highest level.

He played his next Test against India in 2014 where he immediately made an impact by scoring a brilliant 154 in the 1st Test at Nottingham and followed it up with a 66 in the 2nd Test at Lord’s. Though he missed out in the 1st innings of the 3rd Test in Southampton, he came back strongly in the 2nd innings and scored a quick fire 41 balls 56. The last Test of the series played at the Oval saw yet another masterclass by Root. He scored a magnificent unbeaten 149 to pave the way for a 3-1 series win for the hosts.

Even in the ongoing series where England have been steamrolled in each and every department of the game, Root has remained calm and composed and played some good knocks thus far. In the opening match of the series in Rajkot, he struck a brilliant century – his 1st in Asia. Though he failed to make a dynamic impact in the remaining matches of the series, he scored at least a fifty in each of the remaining 4 Tests.

Joe Root Test match scores vs India:

(Stats updated till December 16, 2016)