(Reuters Photo)
After scoring his 33rd Test century against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Thursday, Joe Root paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Graham Thorpe, attributing much of his success to the influence of his former coach. Root’s innings, which helped him match Alastair Cook’s record for the most Test hundreds by an England batsman, came as the team struggled at 42-2 on the first day of the second Test. Upon reaching his century, Root looked skyward in a poignant tribute to Thorpe, who passed away at the age of 55 earlier this month.
A visibly emotional Root, whose steady 143 guided England to 358-7 at the end of the day, told reporters: “I’ve been very lucky to work with a lot of people, whether it be senior players, coaches and mentors.
“He (Thorpe) was one of those people who offered me so much and it was nice to be able to think of him in that moment. Someone I’m sorely going to miss and who I owe a lot to. He put a lot into my game and my career.”
Thorpe, who earned exactly 100 Test caps, was celebrated as the finest England batsman of his era. The elegant left-hander was also among the first to acknowledge Root’s potential.
“Before I’d even made a hundred at first-class level he picked me for an England Lions (A team) game against Sri Lanka at Scarborough,” said Root. “He saw something with me… He pushed very hard for me to be involved in that India tour where I made my debut (in 2012) and from that point onwards we worked together.”
Root added: “It evolved into more than that, we became good friends and I really enjoyed spending a lot of time with him. It was nice to pay a small tribute. He means a lot to me and that was a small thank you.”
Root’s innings reinvigorated England after Sri Lanka’s decision to bowl first under clear skies and on a favorable batting pitch nearly proved successful.
England struggled at 212-6, but Root’s century, combined with Gus Atkinson’s career-best unbeaten 74, lifted the total after several top-order batsmen had been dismissed cheaply. Root, who was eventually out to his signature reverse ramp shot, came in after Ollie Pope was dismissed for just one run—his third single-digit score since stepping in as captain for the injured Ben Stokes.
Pope acknowledged the difficulty of managing both batting and leadership responsibilities after being dismissed for six on two occasions during his otherwise successful debut as captain in England’s five-wicket victory in the first Test at Old Trafford last week. However, with the home team leading the three-match series 1-0, former England captain Root asserted: “I don’t think there’s anything for Ollie to worry about… He should keep doing exactly what he’s doing.”
Root added: “You know someone like him with his talent ability and his mindset, it won’t be long before he scores a big score.”
