Panesar Gives Brutal Reality Check To Root: 'Doesn't Matter How Good You're...'

Panesar Gives Brutal Reality Check To Root: 'Doesn't Matter How Good You're...'

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Last Updated: September 01, 2025, 07:36 IST

Root is the world No. 1 Test batter, and he also holds the record of scoring the most runs in Tests, ODIs and international cricket for the English team.

Monty Panesar gives brutal reality check to Joe Root. (Picture Credit: AFP, AP)

World No. 1 Test batter Joe Root is arguably England’s greatest cricketer of all time. Since making his international debut against India during a Test match played in Nagpur from December 13 to 17 in 2012, the right-handed batter from Yorkshire has scored 21,562 runs in 370 matches played across formats. Of those 21,562 runs, Root has scored 13,543 in Test cricket itself. He is the second-highest run getter in the five-day format of the game. But despite his super record in Test cricket, one country where Root has struggled to score runs is Australia. He has played 14 Test matches in Australia but has only managed to score 892 runs with an average of 35.68.

Root, who has 39 Test centuries to his name (fourth in the all-time list), has never scored a century in Australia. He has nine fifties in 14 Tests and four half-centuries in 14 ODIs played so far in Australia.

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Root will travel to Australia later this year for the 2025-26 edition of the Ashes series with the English team and would like to end the long wait for a maiden century in Australia.

But ahead of England’s trip to Australia for the Ashes, former England spinner Monty Panesar has given a brutal reality check to his former English teammate.

According to him, the upcoming series will be a crucial one for Root because a flop show in Australia could end his Test career.

“It really depends how next year goes for him, how the Ashes go, we saw very much with Virat Kohli, right? He went to Australia, and he just didn’t know what to do with that ball outside fourth and fifth stump. I think that kind of led to his decision or a collective decision for him to retire. And yeah, if Joe Root doesn’t have a good Ashes series and it goes really bad for him," Panesar was quoted as saying by India Today.

“Suddenly all it takes is one series, and you look, it’s a different ball game altogether. England could lose their coach and their captain; if it’s a very bad series, a few jobs could be done. Suddenly people begin questioning, ‘Is he past his best?’ So it’s very important when you go to Australia, doesn’t matter how good you are, you’ve got to perform in Australia," he added.

Panesar, who played a big role in England’s historic Test series win in India in 2012, also feels that it will be very difficult for Root to score a century in Australia because of the strong Australian bowling attack.

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“It’s going to be very difficult for him because he’s going to be facing a strong Australian attack, and this is probably one of the strongest bowling attacks we’ve seen. But from the form he’s shown and the runs he’s scoring, he would probably want to score 100. I’m sure there will be one of those Test matches where the wicket isn’t so bouncy and there’s not so much pace in it, possibly at Adelaide or even in Melbourne, depending on the conditions."

“Well, he’s got a chance, but anything a bit bouncy or quick, I think, it’d be, it’d be a little bit difficult for him," he added.

First Published: September 01, 2025, 07:36 IST

News cricket Panesar Gives Brutal Reality Check To Root: 'Doesn't Matter How Good You're...'

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