\n<\/p>\n
Root’s position as one of the all-time greats is hardly news to the cricketing public.<\/p>\n
Yet perhaps an underappreciated aspect of his game is his talent in handling spin and the sub-continental pitches that assist slower bowlers.<\/p>\n
While England have often floundered on tours of Asia, Root has frequently flowered.<\/p>\n
He now sits third on the list of non-Asian ODI run-scorers against spin in Asia with 1,118 at an average of 69.87, behind only Jacques Kallis (1,151) and Ricky Ponting (1,330).<\/p>\n
“Joe’s playing of spin is absolutely fantastic because he’s able to manoeuvre the ball,” former England batter Dawid Malan told BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
“It’s different challenges, batting in the sub-continent. Wickets vary from ground to ground.<\/p>\n
“The last wicket they played on, it turned square, it was incredibly slow. And today, it didn’t turn as much and was a better wicket to play on.<\/p>\n
“You have to adapt game by game. Joe’s found ways to do that, to take over and score at a run a ball consistently. He’s done that in all the conditions he’s played in.”<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, it’s not just in Asia that Root has prospered against spin.<\/p>\n
Of all the players to score more than 3,000 ODI runs against slow bowling alone, the 35-year-old currently averages 73.43 – only India great MS Dhoni has a better average.<\/p>\n
Indeed, Root has averaged more than 80 against spin in eight calendar years of his ODI career, emerging with a figure of 202.5 in 2017, 101.25 in 2018 and 206 from his first three matches this year.<\/p>\n
Those runs have been built steadily, with a distinct lack of risk – of the players in the 3,000 run club against spin, only Virat Kohli in the last 20 years betters Root’s false shot record of 9.2%.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n