The Ashes 2025: Joe Root’s struggles to score a Test century in Australia analysed

Looking deeper, Root’s problems in Australia seem almost entirely to do with pace bowling.

Although his Ashes career overlaps with Australia’s modern great off-spinner Nathan Lyon, he averages 74.33 against lower-order spinners.

More specifically, Root’s problems came when he faced full or long deliveries from pacers and his averages dropped to 26.9 and 26.2 respectively.

When the ball is short, this average rises to 63, even on fast surfaces.

The difference is very obvious.

The Ashes mock battle began in the summer when David Warner suggested he was an lbw candidate by describing Root’s front panel as a “surfboard”.

While it is true that Australia targeted Root’s pads at the start of the 2017-18 series and dismissed him twice in this manner, eight of Root’s 10 dismissals in the last series were due to deliveries missing the stumps.

Even in England in 2023, five of Root’s dismissals in Australia would not threaten the timber.

Australia’s plans have changed – or at least Australia are using the swingman more sparingly on the pitches.

Of those 10 dismissals in 2021-22, seven were from balls flying 6-8 meters from the stumps (which is considered a ‘good’ length) and nine were from seams.

This resulted in eight catches between the wicketkeeper and the gully – four of which were Root trying to guide third man off the front or back foot.

“In Australia they say horizontal stick shots are the way to go because if it bounces it will fly over the top,” says Vaughan.

“These straight-hitting deliveries, back-foot shots in Australia are OK after 30 or 40 overs when the Kookaburra are a bit softer and not popping off the surface, but when you start playing these straight-hitting shots in the first 10 or 15 overs there is a chance of bouncing more than you expect.”