Joe Root 110 vs South Africa Highlights
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00:00There was a comment on commentary suggesting that this might be one of his top two hundreds in Test match cricket so far.
00:06I mean, given the circumstances, given the conditions, given the opposition, you know, it's a fair call.
00:11Yeah, I mean, you take into account, I mean, this, as Nasser said, I mean, you wouldn't want to be behind on first innings if you're England here.
00:18Because you think this pitch is going to get tougher, albeit Joe Root didn't show that.
00:21So, this is a massive knock in the context of the series.
00:24And plus the fact it's not until you've done it on a fast, bouncy pitch against a quick bowler
00:29do you really get credited for being a seriously good player.
00:32Now, Joe Root is out anyway, and he did it against the Australians this year.
00:35But this here, on this surface, against Mornay Morkel, shame that Dale Steyn actually isn't playing
00:40because that would have been even better to see if he'd have scored these runs, although he might not say that.
00:44But, you're right, for the conditions, the context, and the fact that it's a fast, bouncy pitch against that attack, actually, that'd be right up there.
00:51Yeah, I mean, it's one of those things we might need a bit of time to consider.
00:54I mean, the context, say, for instance, Cardiff last year, just one example.
00:57You know, England were in trouble there.
00:59They needed a very different sort of pitch, not a fast, bouncy pitch as it is here at the Wanderers.
01:03But they needed a Joe Root 100 there to put them ahead, and they've possibly got the same here.
01:08Well, that's the thing about Joe, isn't it? I mean, it's not just the runs he gets, it's when he gets them.
01:12He's often come in with England in a difficult position at 20 for 3, and he's scored runs then.
01:16They were in a difficult position today at 90 for 4, and he scores runs.
01:19He counterattacks. He's got 900s now at the age of 25.
01:23I think only Alistair Cook has more at that age, 10, and he could have had a lot more.
01:27I know every other batsman could say that, but I think the last five times he's got to 50, he's got out.
01:32And that's one thing he's want to get off his back, really,
01:35that he's too good a player to get out in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
01:38It's something you'll take, but he wants 100.
01:40So he's a fantastic player.
01:42Listen, we analyse guys and we've over-analysed guys.
01:46There's nothing you can really pick on Joe Root.
01:48When he first came in on a spinning pitch against India, he got runs.
01:51He plays spin well. He's now placed on one of the quickest pitches in the world,
01:55and he's got a fabulous 100, so he plays the quick stuff well.
01:58There's no real faults in his game at the moment, to be honest.
02:00Certainly not mentally.