On the eve of this Ashes series the England selectors took the decision to drop Nick Compton and promote 22-year old Joe Root from the middle order to opener. Compton had averaged 46.40 during the tour to New Zealand in March, but in the return series on home soil he managed just 39 runs in 4 innings with a highest score of just 16. Root himself has opened for Yorkshire ever since he made his debut for the county back in 2009. His first taste at the top of the order for his country was in England's warm-up game at Chelmsford against Essex where he looked shaky at best, particularly against 20-year old fast bowler Tymal Mills, managing scores of 41 and 26. I mentioned in a previous article that facing the new ball in International Cricket is a different proposition entirely to that at domestic level and frankly it showed. Root found it hard going against Australia at Trent Bridge making just 30 and 5 and at Lord's it was a similar story - in the first innings at least - as he was out lbw to Ryan Harris for just 6. However, it should be noted that even England captain Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott have struggled to score consistently in this series. Then, the fresh faced youngster who would not look out of a place in a school classroom, served a reminder to us all about his talent and potential by becoming the youngest English batsman to score a century against Australia at Lord's. It was his second test century and his first as an opener. He played fluently from the beginning with exquisite cover drives and expertly timed cut shots - it was a true masterclass of how to build an innings coming off of 338 balls. In the process, Root has followed in the footsteps of several great Yorkshire openers including Geoffrey Boycott and Herbert Sutcliffe. He even smashed leg-spinner Steve Smith for two sixes as he made 180 before he was caught by Smith attempting an audacious scoop shot off of Harris, something that would have been more at home in a T20 match. Yet he - with good support from Ian Bell (England's man of the series with the bat so far) who made 74 - put England in a commanding position and enabled the likes of Jimmy Anderson and Graeme Swann to bowl Australia out for 235 and put England 2-0 up in the series. What's more is he gives Cook another option with the ball. Root's handy off-spin has paid major dividends in this series as he has taken three wickets, including the scalps of both the Australian captain Michael Clarke for 51 and then Usman Khawaja who was well set on 54 in the tourists second innings at 'The Home of Cricket'. His maturity at the crease was well documented well before his terrific knock in the 2nd Investec Ashes Test match. He hit his maiden Test century on his home ground at Headingley against New Zealand in May, and then during the ICC Champions Trophy he played the anchor role against South Africa in the semi-final making 48 from 71 balls to help England progress to the final. The decision to promote Root alongside Cook was met with mixed opinion from journalists, pundits and former players alike. Former England opener and captain
Andrew Strauss told the Daily Mail prior to the series that "Joe Root just seems so capable of everything that is asked of him at the moment." Adding: "No disrespect to Nick Compton but I'd be tempted to go with Root. I just feel that he has got that something special." This is precisely why Joe Root seems destined to open the batting for England for many years to come. He is young, hungry and mature beyond his years. It also represents a major opportunity for the ECB to forge a long-term opening partnership between him and Cook which is vital given the retirement of Strauss last year. Without a doubt it was a big call but the right one, despite criticism at the treatment of Compton particularly from his Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick. Speaking to the
Daily Telegraph he said: "It's not the sort of thing youd expect before a big series." The 37-year old continued: "I would have stuck with him personally, only a couple of games ago he got back-to-back hundreds." More to the point it highlights the lack of openers at the selectors disposal. 30-year old Compton and 22-year old Root are the only obvious candidates to partner Cook in the longer format. Compton's international career is not necessarily over with the jury still out on Jonny Bairstow as England's number six, with James Taylor of Nottinghamshire and Middlesex's Eoin Morgan who has fallen massively down the pecking order in recent times the other alternatives. Yet the Yorkshireman is the clear favourite to make the position his own. He has had his trials and tribulations but England are sure to give him time to blossom. Compton's best chances of a recall are likely to come in the form of injury cover. While the South African born Somerset batsman's
outburst following his omission is in fact likely to harm his chances in the near future. Aside from those two who else is available should Andy Flower want to try out another partnership in the future? Root represents the best and most sensible choice and it would be wrong to judge him on a series where Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior have also failed to score big runs. Australian born Middlesex batsman Sam Robson who is 24 has represented Australia U19 but has signalled his intent to play for England in the future.
He qualified to play for his adopted country last week on residency grounds and he has been in outstanding form for his county this season smashing 993 runs at 62.06 so far. However, since his Test debut against India in 2012, Root has shown that he can cope with the rigours of playing at the highest level. Averaging 44.40 through 9 tests so far, consistency will come with time and he has not yet made the place his own. Nonetheless, he needs to keep scoring the runs to cement his position alongside Cook - something which we have yet to do lower down the order since Paul Collingwood's retirement in 2011. He is destined to open for many years barring injury because he has a solid technique and nothing seems to faze him. All that is left is for him to build up a rapport with Cook in the future, but this should excite everybody. Losing Strauss last year was a big blow - as inevitable as it was. Now Root, who has age on his side, can focus on the final two tests on this Ashes series safe in the knowledge he has the potential to become one of England's best batsman over the next decade or so. And who would bet against him doing just that?