WHENEVER Joe Root takes over the England Test captaincy he will draw another parallel with the three other batsmen whom he has seemingly been destined to track throughout his impressive career – Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson.
India v England
5th Test, Chennai, Dec 16-20, 04:00 GMT
All three currently lead India,Australia and New Zealand respectively.
With Root, they are the outstanding batsmen of their generation and look destined to dominate across all formats for years to come.
Root, at 25, is the youngest of the four, Kohli the oldest at 28. But all four were born within 25 months of each other.
Kohli, Smith and Williamson have seen a jump, too, in their performances in Test cricket since being handed the captaincy.
Could Root, who made his debut in the final Test of England’s last series in India at Nagpur four years ago, repeat that success from his already rarefied level of performance?
Alastair Cook, England’s Test captain who stated this week his deputy is “ready” for the job, says: “You just never know. I think a lot of players have a bit of a spurt when they first take over the captaincy and it levels out after a couple of years when you probably find your genuine level.
“I was asked a very direct question a couple of days ago about it. But the moment he got off the plane in India in 2012 as a very young-looking Joe Root you knew he was ready for international cricket. Every challenge that’s been thrown at him he’s handled. So I don’t think anything over the next few years will faze him.
Denne historien er fra December 16,2016-utgaven av The Cricket Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 16,2016-utgaven av The Cricket Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kohli leads RCB to much-needed win
VIRAT KOHLI returned to top form with 72 not out to lead RCB to an eight-wicket victory over the Royals in Abu Dhabi.
TEWATIA HAS SPARKED MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE IPL
James Wallace admits he has been surprisingly taken in by the IPL so far – and, in particular, the performance of a new Royal renegade
Whitewash victory is just the T20 tonic for Keightley
A SERIES that few thought would come to fruition ended in triumph for England who completed a 5-0 whitewash of the West Indies in Derby.
TEN OUT OF TEN! RYAN IS BASKING IN MORE GLORY
Chris Stocks catches up with Ryan ten Doeschate, who has plotted Essex’s recent county domination every step of the way
Surrey have the Will to end hoodoo
WILL Jacks may be a hot batting prospect but he’s relished the added responsibility with the ball in Surrey’s charge to T20 Finals Day.
NOW IT'S OUR TIME TO HELP OTHERS
Chris Stocks catches up with England’s director of cricket and discusses the need for the ECB to help boards around the world
IT'S OFTEN DOWN TO A THROW OF THE DICE
Garfield Robinson explains just how big a part luck plays in determining success or failure in sport
FINDING TALENTS LIKE TOM IS A GAIN IN ITSELF
One of the unexpected highlights to emerge from English cricket’s Covid-attenuated season was the chance given to young players to strut their stuff. With many overseas players and Kolpaks affected by travel restrictions many counties looked instead to the young talent on their staffs with gratifying results.
Future looks bright for the Ohio Slinger
ALI Khan is earning his stars and stripes in the Indian Premier League, with the first American to play in the tournament breaking down barriers in every sense.
Spin trio put squeeze on after Glenn shows off skill with the bat
SARAH GLENN helped England spin it to win it after proving she can make an all-round contribution.
