Joe Root supports England to do the work of the Hundred and attract new followers

After England came from behind to beat South Africa 2-1 in the final series of the summer – three matches where they scored 4.09+ points, a figure smashed in their history only by the 4.54 they achieved when New Zealand were beaten earlier this summer. summer – Joe Root thinks the team is making Test cricket so exciting that the Hundred could end up being fired.

When the Hundred was announced in 2018, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves said it was necessary because “the younger generation, whether you like them or not, just aren’t attracted by cricket” because “she wants something different”. , they want it more exciting, they want it shorter”. But Root thinks this England team is different and more exciting while those looking for shorter cricket will have enjoyed a South African series which ranks, in terms of balls played, like the second shortest series of three tests since 1896with his decisive match shortest completed Test played in England in 110 years.

“There’s been a lot of talk about the Hundred as a great opportunity to get people into the game,” Root said. “Well, there’s no reason Test cricket can’t do that. You show up and watch Ollie Pope try to sweep a 6-foot-8 bowler in reverse to win a test match. Got guys running and bowling spells like Ollie Robinson has, and Jimmy [Anderson] and [Stuart] Broad did. I would like to think that people will want to tune in and watch this and also get involved in cricket through this format.

“There was a moment at Trent Bridge [when England beat New Zealand in June] when me and Zak Crawley sat down with crossword puzzles last session. We made a reply and in three overs we had put the book down and couldn’t take our eyes off the cricket. It was like watching a highlights reel of a T20 match, let alone a test match. It was remarkable.

“Some of the things that we’ve never seen before in Test cricket happened in a short time. It’s almost like when we started making these really big scores in the white ball team. That’s the exciting thing – what’s the limit, how far can we go?

Root resigned as captaincy of England in April after leading the team through a miserable one-in-17 winning streak, an experience that did nothing to diminish his enjoyment of the subsequent six-in-seven win streak under Ben Stokes and new manager , Brendon McCullum. “I have never had so much fun playing professional cricket,” he said.

“It’s hard to put into words, but you show up every day and you’re very excited about what’s to come. It was great to be a part of it, so fun to play like we did. Knowing that there is even more potential and areas we can improve on is the most exciting part.

“We’re certainly not the finished article, but seeing the progress we’ve made in such a short time has truly been a breath of fresh air. I’m buzzing about it.

The South African series that sealed a remarkable summer for England was also the least successful of Root’s career, with the 31-year-old so often England’s savior with the bat and feeding an average of test of 50.01, with an average of 11.5 out of four. rounds and being outclassed by 15 players, including Broad and South African bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen.

“There is an element of satisfaction in winning, but my job is to score points,” he said. “I feel like everything is falling into place and we are well placed as a team. As a senior hitter involved in this, it’s nice to have this around.