Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has praised current skipper Joe Root for his work ethic and called him a master after his sublime knock against Australia in the Ashes opener. Speaking to Sky Sports, Pietersen said, The sky is the limit for Root with the brain he has and also his work ethic, which is like none other. He further added that Root could have easily swanned around after scoring 11,000 Test runs, but he continues to work hard to improve every single day.
Root played an audacious reverse scoop-off to kickstart Day 4 of the Ashes opener against Australia and came up with the famous ‘Root Ramp’ shot against Scott Boland. It would have been in those two months in the IPL (with Rajasthan Royals) where those shots would have been ingrained in his game, Pietersen said.
Root was roped in by Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals (RR) for INR 1 crore at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. He played a quick-fire knock of 46 before he was stumped by Alex Carey during the 26th over bowled by Nathon Lyon.
With England losing its openers for cheap, the onus was on Root to help the hosts in registering a challenging total on Day 4 of the Ashes opener at Edgbaston. Fresh from playing a blockbuster knock against the Baggy Greens, Root continued his sublime run as the premier batter played a stroke-filled knock in the 2nd innings of the Test series opener.
Pietersen’s remark on Root highlights the latter’s determination to continually improve his game and drive the England team to success. Root’s hard work and dedication have paid off, as he continues to showcase his batting skills at the highest level.
