Joe Root vs Steve Smith in Tests: Who has the better numbers across conditions?
Joe Root and Steven Smith are undoubtedly two of the modern-day greats of the game, and their exploits speak for themselves, especially in the Test format. Over the last decade or so, they are collectively known as cricket’s ‘Fab-four’ along with Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson.
Among them, it was Smith who has topped the batting charts in terms of runs, centuries but as things stand, it is Root who handsomely leads the Test batting rankings. Williamson occupies the second spot, with Smith coming in fourth. So it is safe to say that these champion players, sans the retired Kohli, still dominate Test batting.
Players are measured by the rankings. So, can we say that Joe Root is the best Test batter currently in terms of the overall numbers? Let us compare them with Steven Smith’s to come to a conclusion.
Joe Root’s numbers in Tests innings-wise
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Steven Smith’s numbers in Tests innings-wise
Joe Root, a consistent performer across all four innings
Observing the table, we can say that Joe Root has a steady record and performs consistently in all four innings of a Test match. He maintains a 40+ average in what is supposed to be the toughest batting phase of a Test match, the fourth innings.
In this regard, he pips Steven Smith, who has a sensational first innings record, but that gradually wanes down as he progresses deep into the Test match. While he does have a 40+ average in the third innings.
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Steve Smith Home/Away Test records
Joe Root Home/Away Test records
Steven Smith remains prolific, both at home and away
While Joe Root may have shown consistency by piling runs across different innings of a Test match, Steven Smith has been remarkable both, home and away. He maintains an average of over 50 in five of the six countries where he has played more than three Test matches.
Numbers in World Test Championships
There is nothing to separate Smith and Root in terms of their records in the World Test Championships. Both have a similar average, even as it is Root who has played the greater number of innings in the WTC and also has scored the higher number of runs. On the other hand, Smith is a one-time WTC winner.
Numbers in Ashes
The former Aussie skipper leads by a long way when it comes to the Ashes, arguably the biggest Test summit of them all. He has scored 1000 runs more than Root and has made more centuries than his counterpart.
Analysing both batter’s, we can conclude that Steven Smith has a greater Test legacy as a batter than Joe Root, even though the latter is on the verge of becoming the second most prolific run-scorer in Test history.
However, Root stands apart from the rest when it comes to Tests since the start of this decade. From 2020, no one has scored more runs than Root’s 590 and 20 centuries at an average of 54.12. Even Smith couldn’t maintain this consistency as he averages 45.38 in this phase.
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