Joe Root will have nightmares about Josh Hazlewood before Ashes tour: David Warner

India Today

a day ago

Former Australian opener David Warner hasn't backed down from his pointed remarks about star batter Joe Root, once again highlighting the England batter's struggles in Australia. Never one to shy away from stirring the pot ahead of a big series, Warner believes Root will again find the going tough against Josh Hazlewood in the upcoming Ashes, set to be played Down Under later this year.advertisementLast week, Warner raised eyebrows with his "surfboard" jibe aimed at Root's front pad technique, implying that Hazlewood has often exploited that vulnerability. "The big anchor there is Rooty, who is yet to score a hundred in Australia. Josh Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He'll have to take the surfboard off his front leg," Warner told BBC Sport.Arguably one of the world's premier Test batters, Root has been dismissed by Hazlewood ten times in the longest format - a tally only exceeded by Pat Cummins and India's Jasprit Bumrah, who have dismissed him 11 times each. However, only three of Hazlewood's dismissals have come via LBW - a point Root's former teammate Stuart Broad was quick to highlight.
"I've never heard England's best-ever batter's front pad called a surfboard. Just for clarity. Hazlewood has got Rooty LBW in Test cricket three times. Three," Broad posted on X, defending his long-time teammate.Warner and Broad recently crossed paths during The Hundred - Warner representing London Spirit and Broad donning the commentator's hat. Speaking to reporters after a match, Warner doubled down on his comments, claiming Australia have long identified Root's front pad as a weakness. "That's where we always targeted him," he said.The left-hander even drew a parallel between Root's troubles against Hazlewood and his own well-documented struggles against Broad, who dismissed him 17 times in Tests. "I think he will have nightmares before he gets over there about Josh Hazlewood. A bit like me and Broady," Warner quipped.To Root's credit, he has transformed his Test career in the post-Covid era, scoring centuries at a brisk pace. He is now just one ton away from the elite 40-century club. In the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, he racked up 537 runs in nine innings, becoming the second-highest run-getter in Test history in the process. Warner acknowledged Root's class but couldn't resist one final dig. "Joe is a hell of a cricket player. But I'm sure he'd like to score a hundred in Australia. It's one that has eluded him," he remarked.- EndsMust Watch