"Last two years, he's been incredible": Steve Smith hails Joe Root ahead of The Ashes

London [UK], August 15 (ANI): Australia's talismanic batter Steve Smith was full of praise for right-hand batter Joe Root, saying that he has been "incredible" in the last two years for England in Test cricket.
Root finished the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 as the fifth-highest run-getter with 537 runs in the 10 innings of the series against India, which ended at 2-2.
In the 158 Test appearances, the 34-year-old player has managed to score 13,543 runs with the help of 39 centuries. Root still craves to evolve his game. As he stands second on the list, close to breaking legendary Sachin Tendulkar's elusive record for the highest run-getter in the format, Root isn't driven by the urge to break that milestone.
Speaking about Root's performance, Smith told Sky Sports, "I think not just in the Indian series, but over the last two years, he's been incredible. His ability to make big scores and go from 50 to 100, that is perhaps one thing that he got caught in that 50 to 100 spot for quite a while, and now he's just making it count and going on and making huge scores."
Root's next Test assignment will be against England's arch-rival Australia in the cricket's oldest rivalry, the Ashes, which is scheduled to begin on November 21.
Root is yet to score a century in Australia in Tests, and will have to put out performances of a lifetime. Despite not scoring a century in Australia, Root has a decent record there, with 892 runs in 14 Tests and 27 innings at an average of over 35, with nine half-centuries and a best score of 89.
Talking about Root's chances to score a century in Australia, the right-hand batter said, "I think he hasn't scored a hundred in Australia. I think that's been talked about quite a lot, and I'm sure that this is something that he wants to tick off his bucket list as well."
"As I mentioned, it's going to be tricky for batting, particularly for top-order batters. From an Australian point of view, hopefully, he doesn't get a 100 this summer, but I know that he'll be working hard towards it. That's for sure," he added.
Root is the 17th-highest run-getter in all-time Ashes charts with 2,428 runs in 34 Tests and 65 innings at an average of 40.46, with four centuries and 18 fifties. His best score is 180. In the last Ashes series played at home back in 2023, Root scored 412 runs at an average of 51.50, with a century and two half-centuries to his name in nine innings, emerging as the third-highest run-getter in the series. The series ended in a two-all draw.
The five-match tour to Australia would be crucial for England's ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final chances after a hard-fought 2-2 draw against India. From a pride standpoint as well, England would be gunning to win their first Ashes in Australia since 2011 and their first one since 2015. (ANI)