Joe Root: roaring back to the top with a sensational August
The England captain scored more runs in the first three Tests than England's next three highest run-scorers combined, and was also their highest individual scorer in each of their five innings.
“Root made an amazing effort to score three consecutive test centuries in each of the first three tests in an engrossing and challenging series,” ICC Voting Academy Member and commentator Pommie Mbangwa said.
“That he has done it against a very strong Indian bowling attack adds to the feat, whilst getting back to the top of the batting rankings is the cherry on top.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Three Tests
507 runs at 126.75. Three hundreds, one fifty with a high score of 180*
England's lone warrior with the bat
In the three Tests in August, Joe Root has had an air of invincibility around him while the batters around him looked all at sea against the Indian bowlers.
In the first Test in Nottingham, Root was the only batter in the first innings who crossed the 50-run mark when England were bundled out for 183. His 109 in the second innings helped England set a challenging target of 209.
Talk about a captain's knock 💪
— ICC (@ICC) August 14, 2021
Walking in at 23/2, Joe Root has put England in a good position with his second century of the series 💯#WTC23 | #ENGvIND | https://t.co/rhWT865o91 pic.twitter.com/8BjNU8xLFw
In the first innings of the second Test at Lord's, he walked in at 23/2 and scored an unbeaten 180 as England managed to get a slender 27-run lead. His 33 in the second innings did offer some resistance but could not save England from a 151-run loss.
Root was once again the star with the bat - scoring his third century in as many games - in England's thumping innings win at Headingley that helped them level the series 1-1.
Joe Root on a record-breaking spree
During the second Test at Lord's, Root, en route his 180*, surpassed Graham Gooch to become England's second-most prolific Test batter. In the same innings, he also became only the second batter after Alastair Cook to aggregate more than 9000 runs for England in Test cricket.
Joe Root becomes England’s most successful Test skipper with 27 wins 🌟#WTC23 | #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/w70taUF6zC
— ICC (@ICC) August 28, 2021
His achievements don't end there - the innings-win against India at Leeds made Root the most successful Test captain in England's history with 27 wins, going past Michael Vaughan's record of 26 wins.
Numero Uno in Tests
On the back of his stunning display in August, Root climbed to the top of MRF Tyres ICC Men's Test Rankings for batters on 1 September. Placed fifth in the rankings before the start of the series, the England skipper leapfrogged Virat Kohli, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson to the No.1 spot.
It was a long wait for Root before he regained the top spot for Test batter - he was last on top of the pile on 21 December 2015 before he lost the spot to Kane Williamson.