According to interim managing director Andrew Strauss, Joe Root told England’s new selection panel “very clearly” that he wants to bat at No. 3 in the Caribbean and beyond.
This year in his career, Root has performed better than before. He scored 1777 runs at 55.53, including six centuries. In his 17 Tests since the start of 2021. He has batted at full number 4. (with an innings at No. 5 for a nightwatchman) and his overall record is much better than No. 3, but Strauss said that Root had insisted that he “have to take that responsibility”.
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ROOT’S ROLE
TEST RECORD BY BATTING POSITION-
| POSITION | INNINGS | RUNS | AVERAGE | 100S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPENING | 11 | 417 | 41.70 | 1 |
| NO. 3 | 53 | 1,933 | 38.66 | 2 |
| NO. 4 | 106 | 5,179 | 51.27 | 14 |
| NO. 5 | 31 | 1,830 | 67.77 | 6 |
| NO. 6 | 8 | 241 | 40.16 | 0 |
| NO. 7 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |
The first thing he said in [Root’s] selection was that he was looking forward to having three batsmen going forward,” Strauss told Sky Sports News. He said, “It came from his side, that was his request. And I think everyone agrees that it would probably be the right time for the England cricket team at this point in time.
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Durham batsman Alex Lees is set to open the batting with Zack Crowley against the West Indies, with Root slotting in behind him. With the wicket of Ben Fox at No.7 and chances to bat, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, and either Ollie Pope or Dan Lawrence are set to fill the roles from No. 4-6.
We just haven’t been consistent enough at the top of the order so Alex Lees comes in as a mature cricketer who knows his game well and it’s an opportunity for him to stake his claim at the top of the order with Zak Crawley,” Strauss added to the BBC.
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“And more importantly, Joe Root has said very categorically that he wants to bat at No. 3 and take that responsibility on. That’s quite a fundamental shift in itself and creates a bit of space in the middle order for some of the less experienced players to play better and play more consistently.”
