Joe Root Regains His Place Among The Elite

Then suddenly the runs dried up and what’s more the drought continued for an extended period...

- Partab Ramchand

Form is temporary but class is permanent may be a sporting cliché but none can doubt its truism and the latest to prove this is Joe Root. Till recently the England captain was one among the Fab Four the others being Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson as the leading Test batsmen in the contemporary game all boasting an average of 50 (Smith of course averages 60). Moreover he was in a class of his own for besides having the chiseled strokes of the other three he also exhibited an approach that was essentially English – absolutely textbook in attack or defence. Of course he was also blessed with an impeccable technique and legendary powers of concentration which saw him get 17 hundreds in 87 Tests including two double centuries.