England vs NZ: Decoding Joe Root's performance against Trent Boult
New Zealand are set to play a two-match Test series in England, starting June 2 at Lord's. The Kiwis will then play the World Test Championship final against India, before England host the Indians for a five-match Test series. England skipper Joe Root would certainly want to excel on his home soil. Let us analyze his Test performance against New Zealand pacer Trent Boult.
Joe Root in Test cricket
Root is deemed as one of England's best batsmen in Test cricket. He is one of the few batters in the world who plays spin well. So far, the England skipper has amassed 8,617 runs from 103 Tests at an impressive average of 49.24. Root is the leading run-scorer among active cricketers. He also owns 20 tons and five double-centuries in the format.
How has Trent Boult fared in Tests?
Boult is the mainstay bowler in New Zealand's arsenal across formats. His ability to swing the ball both ways makes him lethal in Test cricket. The left-arm pacer has accounted for 281 wickets from 71 Tests at an average of 28.02. He is New Zealand's fourth-highest wicket-taker in the format. Boult has registered 8 five-wicket hauls and one haul of 10 wickets.
Boult has dismissed Root five times in Tests
Over the years, the fast bowlers have troubled Root by drawing him to the uncertain corridor. Notably, Boult dismissed Root a total number of five times in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Root has also scored 116 runs off 323 balls against Boult. He has smashed Boult for 13 boundaries, while the latter has bowled as many as 265 dot balls.
Boult dismissed Root thrice in the 2013 series
Although Boult dismissed Root thrice in 2013 (51 runs off 123 balls), Root was unbeaten against the former in the 2015 series (32 runs off 79 balls). In 2018, Boult got rid of Root twice (32 runs off 111 balls). However, the NZ pacer was unable to dismiss Root in 2019. The latter faced only 10 deliveries by Boult, and didn't score any run.
Root vs Boult: Stats by nation
Boult has managed to dismiss Root only once in England in Test cricket. In these matches, Root has aggregated 73 runs off 156 balls against the former (strike-rate: 46.80). The tally includes a total of 120 dot balls. Boult has better record against Root at home, having dismissed him four times (145 dots). Root has scored 42 runs off 167 balls in these matches.
