IT'LL BE BROOTAL

Hogg warns brilliant Aussie pace attack will cause more Ashes misery for England legend

- BY GARY FITZGERALD

JOE ROOT has been told his plan to dominate Down Under this winter and celebrate that elusive Test century on Aussie soil will end in more misery and despair.

England's premier batsman will be a man on a special mission when the Ashes spark into life. But former Baggy Green star Brad Hogg reckons Australia's formidable pace attack will leave the Yorkshireman frustrated once again.

Root, 34, will be hell bent on silencing those Aussie critics who, while praising him as one of the world's great run-scorers, also taunt him over his failure to score a Test ton in their backyard.

Having amassed 39 centuries in his 13,543 Test runs he is hungry for more following another successful series against India. But Hogg warns him that Mitchell Starc (35), Josh Hazlewood (34) and Pat Cummings (32) are bowling as well as ever.