 "Joe Root has played 28 innings in Australia and is yet to score a century. Image: AFP")
England star Joe Root is once again facing heavy criticism from fans after another disappointing outing in Australia, with social media brutally trolling the former captain for his repeated struggles Down Under. In the first Test at the Perth Stadium, Root managed scores of 0 and 8, both times falling to Mitchell Starc , and both dismissals coming from loose shots outside off stump.
The 34-year-old has now been dismissed by Starc 10 times in Test cricket, a stat many fans highlighted as proof of his continued issues against left-arm pace in Australia. In the first innings, Root poked at a Starc delivery and edged to Marnus Labuschagne in the slips. In the second, he tried to drive away from his body again, only to drag the ball onto his stumps.
Fans trolls Joe Root
This was Root’s ninth international duck in Australia. Fans on social media didn’t hold back, calling Root “just another English home-track bully” and even comparing him with Indian ODI batting great Virat Kohli, with comments like “people compare him with Sachin and Smith, but he’s not even close to Kohli in Test cricket.”
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View AllEngland’s collapse only made things worse. After taking a first-innings lead of 40 runs, the visitors threw the advantage away, getting all out for 164 in their second innings. They have set Australia a target of 205 runs to win the first Ashes Test and take 1-0 lead in the contest.
Earlier in the match, England were bowled out for 172 in their first innings , despite Harry Brook’s 52 and Jamie Smith’s quick 33. Starc took a seven-wicket haul in the innings. Australia were then restricted to 132 thanks to a brilliant spell by English skipper Ben Stokes, who took a fifer.