‘As nice as it is the focus doesn’t change,’ says
England captainSeries level at 1-1 for fourth Test at the OvalJoe Root will go into the fourth Test of an enthralling series against
India at the Oval on Thursday as the world’s No 1 batsman. The International
Cricket Council’s latest update confirmed his stunning run of form in 2021 has carried him to the top of the rankings for the first time since 2015, 15 months before he succeeded Alastair Cook as the England captain.
With two matches to play Root is averaging 126.75 in five innings against India, with three centuries, and a year of individual excellence that started with 426 runs in four innings in Sri Lanka continues to improve. The 30-year-old denied his new status represents the pinnacle of his career, saying “the form of my life is still to come”.