Test cricket is the biggest format in cricket. There is no format that can reach the greatness of Test cricket. It provides a phenomenal balance between bat and ball. No player can reach a higher level if he does not play Test cricket well. Only the cricketers who showed tremendous potential on the stage of Test cricket are regarded as one the greatest Test players. Before it was Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara. In modern-era cricket, we have a new battle in Test cricket. It is the Steven Smith vs Joe Root Test cricket career battle. There is one thing common about both these cricketers in Test cricket. Joe Root and Steven Smith both represent the core of their teams. The batting line-ups of Australia and England are incomplete without the presence of Steven Smith and Joe Root.
As time is progressing, the battle of Steven Smith vs Joe Root in Test cricket is intensified. Both players are reaching the top level. There was a time when Joe Root was facing a rough patch in his career. Joe Root used to trouble to convert his fifties to a hundred. Steven Smith was out of the Test cricket side due to the infamous ball-tampering saga. However, when Joe Root and Steven Smith made a comeback, the battle made sure that cricket fans enjoy some spectacular displays of cricket out there. The art is loved by cricket fans from all over the world. You can also get more ideas about this comparison on one of the best online cricket sportsbook sites in Australia, like 22Bet. Steven Smith vs Joe Root Test cricket career is a prime example of a spectacular rivalry.
Root vs Smith Test Cricket Career: Style and Technique
This is one of the most important aspects of Test cricket. To survive the toughness of the longest format of the game, the batsmen need to be at the top of their game. Root and Smith both carry phenomenal technique in the Test cricket which has helped them in achieving great things in the Test cricket format.
Joe Root bats according to the Test cricket standards. I am talking about the classic Test cricket standards. The shots come right from the classic cricketing textbooks. Straight Drive, Cover Drive, Pull Shots, and Sweeps. Joe Root has all the shots in his cricketing textbook to put huge pressure on the opposition.
The best thing about Joe Root is that he builds his innings in a fine manner. In the initial phase of the innings, the defense of Joe Root is strong enough to now allow any bowlers to provide him any room for the wicket. After getting set on the crease, he usually executes his traditional backfoot punch shot to settle his feet on the crease. The game against Spinners is amazing. Nathan Lyon finds it difficult to send Joe Root to the pavilion. In recent times, he is trying to bring innovation to his shots due to the formula of Bazzball in Test cricket. This thing has certainly worked.
Steven Smith came as the bowling all-rounder in the side. He was a leg-spinner who could bat well in the Test cricket format. Smith took a lot of time to evolve his technique according to the Test cricket batting standards. The best thing about Smith is that he has improved a lot. Despite following the unconventional technique on the crease, he makes it extremely difficult for the bowlers to take his wicket.
Root vs Smith Test Cricket Career: The Statistics
Once Smith finds room on the crease, he starts hitting runs in a spectacular manner to put full pressure on the opposition. Despite having cons in his technique, the defense and masterclass batting display of Steven Smith is really hard to break. On the other hand, Joe Root has certainly found a really tough competitor in Test cricket. Let’s take a look at the key aspects of the Root vs Smith Test cricket career comparison, that is The Statistics.
Both Steven Smith and Joe Root have scored runs all around the world. They did not leave any place where they did not score any runs. In every batting condition, from India, and West Indies to New Zealand, Steven Smith and Joe Root demonstrated their potential splendidly on the crease.
If we look at the statistics of Steven Smith, which were shown on one of the best online cricket news sites in the United Kingdom, 1xBet, Steven Smith has a batting average of 59.39. The number of matches Steven Smith has played is 98. He has scored 8969 runs in Test cricket. Furthermore, Steven Smith has scored 37 fifties and 31 hundred in the longest format of the game. Joe Root is an exceptional competitor for Steven Smith in Test cricket. There might not be any player currently who can match the statistics of Steven Smith in Test cricket.
On the other hand, the statistics of the Englishman in the Joe Root vs Steven Smith Test cricket career comparison give a fine competition. Joe Root has a batting average of 50.76 in Test cricket. The sample size of Joe Root is huge as he has played 131 matches in the format. Furthermore, Joe Root has scored 11168 runs in the Test cricket format. Joe Root has crossed the batting average of 50+ in the format. This is already great. But Smith wins the battle of Statistics.
Winner: Steven Smith
Steven Smith vs Joe Root Test Cricket Career: The Match-Winning Impact
While Steven Smith and Joe Root are competing for the battle of comparison here, we need to take a look at the match-winning impact of both these cricketers. There was a time when Steven Smith was out of the side following the ball-tampering saga. It felt as if Australia has decided to move on from the chapter of Steven Smith. However, showing tremendous potential and commitment following the incident, Australia decided to bring Steven Smith to the side. Guess what? Australia will never regret their decision.
Steven Smith has improved massively in the Test cricket format. He does not allow his wicket easily just like the old times. He has produced numerous match-winning performances for his side with his spectacular batting performance. The highlight of the match-winning impact which Steven Smith has produced was the Edgbaston Test performance vs England. It was the comeback. The whole crowd was against him.
However, Steven Smith made a terrific comeback on the crease with his batting. James Anderson and Stuart Broad were bowling. These two bowlers are capable of destroying any opponent on a given day. The pressure these bowlers produce with their bowling is astonishing. Steven Smith was making a comeback to the side after the ball-tampering saga. He batted like a champion. While the wickets were falling from the other end, Steven Smith was smashing the ball all around the park.
On the other hand, Joe Root is a fine customer as far as the match-winning performances are concerned. Whenever England faces any collapse in the Test cricket format, Joe Root is there to the rescue with his masterclass batting. There have been many occasions when England needed Joe Root to stand composedly on the crease to demonstrate his impact. He produced that impact.
The Leadership Styles: The Difference
The must be a comparison of Steven Smith vs Joe Root Test careers as captains to find out the progress of both these cricketers. Steven Smith was the captain of the Australian Test side during the ball-tampering saga. After the ball-tampering saga, Steven Smith did not captain the side of Australia and it was Pat Cummins who was made the captain of the Australian Test side. But let’s look at the times and instances when Steven Smith and Joe Root were the captains of their side. What was the strategy Root and Smith followed on the crease? Who was the aggressive captain? Tell me the name of the player who was more of a calm version on the crease. Well, Root and Smith both had different personalities regarding their leadership skills in Test cricket. Both followed different approaches to the crease.
Do you want to find out about the leadership skills of different Test cricket captains? Are you interested to find out all the latest cricket statistics about Joe Root and Steven Smith in Test cricket? If yes, then you could go to the best online cricket news sites in Australia to find out the information.
Steven Smith followed the traditional Australian style on the crease. Michael Clarke was an aggressive captain. Ricky Ponting was an aggressive captain. Steven Smith was also a pretty aggressive captain. He used to target the opposition with a full aggressive approach to put great pressure on the opposition. The bowlers followed his plan and Australia dismissed the batsmen following the aggressive approach of Steven Smith. This was a fine leadership display by Steven Smith that scared the batsmen on the crease. – Register at 20BET Sportsbook to bet on your favorite!
Alistair Cook Factor
Joe Root came after Alistair Cook as the captain. Cook was a really calm captain on the crease. The leadership style of Joe Root was pretty calm on the ground. He tried to neutralize the environment with his astonishing leadership skills and put pressure on the opposition step by step. Following the calm approach of Joe Root on the ground, James Anderson and Stuart Board performed well on the ground. They took some really great wickets destroying the strategy of the opponents. Root was composed on the ground as the captain. However, he stepped down as the captain and England has decided to go with Ben Stokes who follows the methodology of Bazzball in Test cricket.
Smith vs Root Test Cricket Career: What To Expect
The age of Joe Root is 32. While the age of Steven Smith is 34. Smith is yet to complete the figure of 100 Test matches as the captain. Joe Root is cruising towards the mark of 150 Test matches. There is a great amount of cricket left in both cricketers. In some aspects, Steven Smith is better. The impact of Steven Smith’s performance on Australian cricket is tremendous as we witnessed how greatly the Australian Test team was troubled during his exclusion from the Test side.
On the other hand, Joe Root has started to improve significantly in recent times and moving on to become one of the greatest English Test cricketers of all time. Joe Root has an advantage over Steven Smith in one aspect. That is the technique that Joe Root carries on the crease. He follows the methodology of the cricketing textbook. The shots come straight from that textbook. The way he hits those cover drives on the crease is phenomenal. On the other hand, Smith is a little unconventional, but he is still a really fine batter in the Test format.
Joe Root and Steven Smith both are not captaining the side right now. Who knows if they start to captain their respective sides in the upcoming edition of The Ashes? Are you a great follower of cricket? Do you like to follow all the latest cricketing updates from around the world? What about following the comparisons similar to Steven Smith vs Joe Root Test cricket career? Are you interested in this information? If yes, then you could go to the best online cricket betting sites in Australia to find out the information.
