England star batter Joe Root, known as a “Classical Batter” in the cricket world, faced severe disappointment in the first Ashes Test in Perth as he failed to break Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record. Continuing his poor track record on Australian soil, Root was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and could only manage 8 runs in the second, with Mitchell Starc being his nemesis both times. Root’s failure has pushed his ambition of surpassing Sachin’s record further out of reach.
The match saw Australia secure a commanding eight-wicket victory over England, with the entire game concluding in just two days. While England’s Harry Brook (52) top-scored in the first innings, the team was bundled out for 172, courtesy of a devastating spell by Mitchell Starc (7/58). Although England gained a 40-run lead after bowling Australia out for 132 (Ben Stokes taking 5/23), their poor batting in the second innings meant Australia only needed 205 runs to win.
Root is currently the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket (13,551 runs in 159 Tests) after Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs). However, his record on Australian soil remains dismal, where he has yet to score a century in 15 Test matches, averaging only 33.33. With the first Test failure, all eyes are now on the remaining four Tests to see if Root can find his form and make a significant move towards challenging Sachin’s monumental record.
