Joe Root acknowledges the crowd. Photo / Photosport
Joe Root acknowledges the crowd. Photo / Photosport
Working out how to dismiss Joe Root — or failing to work it out, as the case may be — has been crucial to the narrative in the series between England and New Zealand.
Find a sound method for the third test and momentum may swing in New Zealand's favour.
At Lord's, Root's unbeaten 115 won the game. He completed his first fourth-innings ton in 26 centuries and became the 14th batter to reach 10,000 test runs. At Trent Bridge, his first innings 176 — hundred number 27 — continued that relentless form as the player defining the series.
So, how do New Zealand identify his kryptonite?
The droll response is to suggest he takes back the captaincy, given England had won one of their previous 17 tests before this series. Yet that's largely a fallacy, at least in relation to form.
Root averages 43.18 with five centuries during that period. Extend the bookends from the start of 2021 until now and he averages 59.20 with 10 tons. Even in 64 tests as leader out of 119 in total, he averages 46.44 compared to a career mark of 50.20. Still, he admitted feeling liberated after the Lord's fixture.
"I had developed an unhealthy relationship with the role. It had started to take a toll on my personal health and I couldn't leave it at the ground anymore. It was coming home, and that wasn't fair on my family.
"I was determined to help turn this team around, but I realised it needed to be in a different way."
England batter Joe Root celebrates after reaching his century during day three of the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Photo / Getty Images
Core Black Caps figures, after being asked for specifics on claiming Root's wicket this tour, could only muster generalities.
"Before leaving the ground [at Lord's on the final day] we tried to be clear on plans to him," said coach Gary Stead. "He was the difference in the game — like his composure and ability to manipulate the ball around on what wasn't an easy wicket early."
"Joe's an amazing player and obviously his achievements throughout his career speak volumes," said captain Kane Williamson pre-match. "We're trying to address plans to take a step in the right direction but, at the same time, you have to applaud a fantastic knock."
"We knew it was tough with an old ball," said senior pace bowler Tim Southee. "He's a class player who's got them out of sticky situations for a number of years."
Is the answer spin?
Evidence points to the contrary. For instance, let's compare cricket's current Fab Four: Root, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith.
Root has been dismissed by a spinner the least, in 57 of his 202 innings i.e. 28 percent of the time. Williamson's figure is 30 percent, Kohli 34 and Smith 39.
The mundane, but best solution, appears to involve bowling a line on or just outside off stump and a good length — or just short of. This is the answer to helping dismiss millions of batters around the world and Root, in this sense, is no different. The flipside is he's tracking back towards the No 1 ranking and appears largely invincible.
Black Caps gun Trent Boult is congratulated by teammates after taking his fifth wicket during day four of the Second Test match against England. Photo / Getty Images
Vulnerability was on parade at Lord's though. Colin de Grandhomme bowled short of a length in the channel and Root guided a catch to Tim Southee in the cordon.
A forensic examination reveals such circumstances have been regularly repeated over his career.
Only six players have dismissed Root six or more times in tests. The best ratios are six in nine matches by India's Jasprit Bumrah and eight in 14 matches for Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. All are right-arm quick seam bowlers capable of featuring in the 140km/h bracket, comparable to Matt Henry. Ten of those 22 dismissals were catches and nine went into the cordon.
Trent Boult is the best New Zealand exponent against Root. He's removed him on six occasions in 13 tests, three of which angled across him to collect the edge.
Hitting his bat hard from that area should deliver the best chance of Root's early demise.
