From memory - I don’t recall Root going through a phase where he’s not at least getting decent starts and he always looks like making 100’s. I’m sure I’ll be corrected if I’m wrong! Let’s hope this ton-up trend continues, he’s great to watch.
Williamson and Marnus do, Kohli, Babar and Smith don't.
His record between about 2017 and 2020 is actually really underwhelming for a player of his quality. 6 hundreds in 44 (!) Tests with an average only just the right side of 40. This really is his first properly good year in quite a while. It's pretty obvious that the pressures of the captaincy wore him down mentally and the COVID break has refreshed him in a big way.
You just have to bat players in the right position for the team and never out of position if you can help it. The 3 thing for the best player is nonsense.
Agree, so 2 years at this level. Or just the Ashes, should it go ahead? Which we all hope it will!
Hmmm this is a massive undersell. I don’t want to push his case too hard, but it’s not easy think of 3 batsmen who’ve had a better tour of England recently than Labuschagne did on the last ashes tour. Smith, Kohli on the last tour. I suppose we have to say Conway. I’d have Labuschagne as the clear 4th best touring batsman of the past 5 or 6 years.
I mostly agree, but I kind of feel that there might be something other than just the break that's helped him. Just because there was a bit of a break last year (not as long tbf) between the orginal Sri Lanka tour getting aborted and the test summer, in which he really didn't do anything and was fairly awful in the ODIs IIRC, rusty as hell.
Yeah I just think that you have to put a real big marker down, absolutely dominate a series away from home, to be considered in that conversation.
There's multiple things going on though. Rustiness is obviously a thing, some players just need quite a bit of gametime to feel back in rhythm and comfort again. Once he got through that, then the benefits of being mentally refreshed can really kick in.
Pretty much this I'd say. If he'd had that tour immediately after his incredible home summer rather than the other way around, you certainly wouldn't be seeing it as the bubble bursting or anything and would be reassured of his credentials as a quality test bat, but you'd also probably be a little disappointed that he didn't make at least a ton at any point.
I said somewhere else that pitch could still see some collapses given only 5 batsmen got to double figures. Later in the evening I realised that 6 was 4 #11s and 2 who are currently playing like #11s.
It's really tough to do when u got one of Shami/Siraj bowling. They r not ones to bowl tight and dry.
I think they’re both good enough to do it if that’s the plan. Tbf it would be unfair to criticise Siraj.
