Patience, Honour, and Heart: The Joe Root blueprint for lasting success
On Friday, July 25, during the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, Root's 150-run masterclass saw him surpass Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, trailing only Tendulkar. With age and form on his side, Root is set to overhaul Tendulkar's Test record.And yet, who would have thought just a few years ago Root would be ascending cricket's Mt Everest, the summit of batting?The Sudden Emergence of a Cricketing SupernovaRoot's rise to cricketing immortality was not a blaze of instant stardom but a quiet, smoldering glow that erupted into a supernova, catching the cricketing world off guard.When he debuted in 2012 against India in Nagpur, scoring a gritty 73 off 229 balls against a formidable spin attack, Root was a promising talent but not a headline-grabber.Critics pegged him as reliable, yet his early career lacked the flair of peers like Virat Kohli or Steve Smith. Before 2020, Root's 17 centuries in 89 Tests and a modest conversion rate placed him as the underdog among the Fab Four. Among his peers, Root was the quiet one, always in the shadow of Kohli's swagger, Smith's maverick mastery, and Kane Williamson's steel.'But post-2020, Root transformed, shedding the captaincy in 2022 to unleash his full potential under 'Bazball.' Since 2021, he has scored 5,586 runs in 60 Tests at an average of 56.42, with 21 centuries, converting over half his fifties into hundreds.In the race of cricket's Fab Four, Root is the veritable tortoise to the other hares, his steady, unassuming stride outlasting their early sprints.Fate of the Fab FourWhile Kohli, Smith, and Williamson burst from the blocks with flamboyant brilliance. Kohli's brash charisma shone in his 2011 Test debut century, leading to high expectations, and his crowning as Tendulkar's heir. But his form faltered since 2020, with only five centuries in five years, and a sharp dip in the Test average. Kohli started failing against seam, and struggling against spin. After flickering for a few years, his candle flamed out, belying his early promise.advertisementSmith, the unorthodox genius, racked up 9,685 runs in 109 Tests, his 32 centuries a hallmark of innovation, but he has looked a bit vulnerable in the last two years. Williamson, the steely technician, has 8,881 runs in 102 Tests. His consistency has been praised, but injuries and New Zealand's sparse Test schedule have slowed him.Root, on the other hand, has transformed into a run machine in the second half of his career. His 150 at Old Trafford took him to 13,409 runs, surpassing Dravid (13,288), Kallis (13,289), and Ponting (13,378), leaving him 2,512 runs shy of Tendulkar's 15,921.The English GentlemanOff the crease, Joe Root lives with a quiet humility that keeps him far from the limelight's glare. Born on December 30, 1990, in Sheffield, Root was nurtured in a cricket-mad family. His early days at Sheffield Collegiate Cricket Club, under the shadow of Michael Vaughan, saw a shy talent emerge, earning a scholarship to Worksop College at 15 and shining at the 2005 Bunbury Festival.advertisementAs a boy, Root spent hours perfecting his cover drive in Yorkshire's gritty nets, often biking to practice with dreams bigger than his small frame suggested.Anecdotes from his youth paint a picture of shyness: teammates recall a teenage Root blushing when praised for a century, preferring to let his bat speak. Impressed, his friends and fans anointed him with prophetic nickname during his college days –FEC (Future England Captain) for his quiet leadership.His non-controversial career reflects this reserve—unlike peers, he's avoided scandals, with his 2019 stand against homophobia, calmly telling Shannon Gabriel, 'There's nothing wrong with being gay,' showcasing principle over provocation.An Honorable Foe And A FriendRoot's character, a blend of quiet resilience and profound sportsmanship, shines brightest in moments that transcend the scoreboard.On July 14, 2025, during the third Test at Lord's, India's chase of 193 ended in heartbreak, falling 22 runs short when Shoaib Bashir dismissed Mohammed Siraj for 4 off 30 balls. Siraj, visibly shattered, slumped over his bat, the ball having spun back with cruel overspin to dislodge his leg stump.Amid the roaring Lord's crowd and England's jubilation, Root was the first to rush toward Siraj, his gesture a beacon of empathy in a match marked by fiery exchanges.advertisementDespite Siraj's earlier sledging—mocking Root's 'Bazball' with taunts of 'Baz, Baz, Bazball, I want to see' on Day 1 and venting frustration after a failed DRS appeal against Root on Day 4–the England legend set aside the on-field tension. He offered a firm handshake, a gentle pat on the back, and a quiet word.At Multan in 2024, where he scored 262, Root quietly declined a celebratory wave to the crowd, preferring to share a private nod with Harry Brook, saluting their 454-run partnership as a testament to his team-first ethos.What Root Teaches UsIn a game that so often idolises the spectacular and the brash, Root's journey reminds us that true greatness is forged in patience, humility, and the relentless pursuit of self-improvement.His quiet resilience and unwavering commitment to the team underscore a deeper truth: in sport, as in life, it is not always the loudest or the fastest who reach the summit, but those who endure, who build others up, and who play with both honor and heart.Root's story stands as proof that, in a world chasing fleeting success and shallow fame amplified by hype, enduring greatness is built on character and substance.- EndsMust Watch
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