ROOT’S REBOOT IS A REAL HOOT
Smiles are back on Joe’s face after match-winning century
JOE ROOT batted England to victory as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
And, as he reflected on the fivewicket win in his first game back minus the Test captaincy, it turns out that is exactly what has happened.
But the big difference between his 115 not out – that also included his 10,000th Test run – and the other five hundreds he has scored in the past year, is the smile.
Root has batted incredibly well for the past 18 months, despite the burden of leading a team that had stopped functioning properly. However, he was not enjoying it.
The stress and strain had become draining and it was eating away at the Yorkshireman, even though he did not quite realise it until he walked away from the top job.
Now he is a free batsman once more and the boyish grin that has been a hallmark of his astonishing career was back as he collected a 26th Test hundred to give the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era the perfect start.
“It had become a very unhealthy relationship to be honest, the captaincy and me,” said Root. “It started to really take a bad toll on my own personal health.
“I couldn’t leave it at the ground any more, it was coming home. It wasn’t fair on my family, on people close to me, and it wasn’t fair on myself either.
“I was unaware of how much it was grabbing hold of me and I just needed to make the decision.
“I immediately felt a lot better and I felt like a big weight had been lifted. I had thrown everything at it and I was determined to help turn this team around, but I realised over that time at home that it would have to be in a different way.”
And what a way for Root to reboot, with a matchwinning ton that required an almost faultless approach on Saturday, and then accelerated into Sunday to take the game away from
New Zealand. Sixty-one runs were still needed when he and Ben Foakes walked out to bat under overcast skies on day four, a tricky proposition in theory but they made it look like the easiest chase in the world.
It will also have done Foakes the world of good to be there on 32 not out at the end as part of a 120-run partnership with one of English cricket’s all-time greats.
Root looks sure to take a host of batting records from Sir Alastair Cook by the time he is done.
But on the subject of 10,000 Test runs they could not be split, both reaching the landmark at the age of 31 years and 157 days.
There was the odd slice of luck for Root as a couple of edges flew past his stumps, although no one could begrudge him the rewards at the end or the chance to play cricket on the outfield with his son after the game.
“He’s a special player,” said Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson. “He has done it with real grace and a sense of ease.”
When Root was captain he always knew that no matter how bleak the situation, there was always a chance Stokes might rescue him.
Root’s part-time spin may not win too many games in future but his batting will. It is Stokes’ good fortune to be able to build a team with his runs at its heart – this could be
just the beginning.