Joe Root averages 54.77 in home Tests: Decoding key stats
What's the story
As Team England gears up to host India for a five-match Test series starting June 20 in Leeds, all eyes will be on Joe Root.
The former England captain and the nation's leading run-scorer in Test cricket, Root has been a thorn in India's side over the years.
Meanwhile, he has been a more formidable force on England soil.
On this note, let's decode his numbers in home Tests.
Numbers
Root averages 54-plus at home
As per ESPNcricinfo, Root has played 79 Tests at home, scoring 6,792 runs in 138 innings.
He owns 21 tons and 32 fifties at home, averaging 54.77.
While no batter has scored more Test runs on England soil, Root is sixth in terms of Test runs at home.
Meanwhile, the star batter has also bagged six ducks in England.
Stats
Can Root go past Ponting?
Root's Test numbers against India are also sensational at home as the tally reads 1,574 runs from 15 Tests at an average of 74.95.
Only Australia's Ricky Ponting (1,893) owns more Test runs against India at home.
Root's tally of seven Test tons against India at home is the joint-most for a batter.
He shares the top spot with Ponting and Australia's Steve Smith.
Meanwhile, the England star also boasts five Test fifties against India at home.
DYK
Four tons in 2021-22 series
Root was on a roll in England's preceding home Test series against India, in 2021-22.
Though the five-match affair ended in a 2-2 draw, Root mustered 737 runs across nine innings at an average of 105.28.
These are the third-most runs by an England batter in a bilateral Test series at home.
Root also tallied the joint-most Test tons by a batter in a bilateral Test series in England (4). The tally includes a fifty as well.
Test statistics
Over 2,800 runs against India
Since his debut against India in December 2012, Root has played 30 Tests against the team and has scored a whopping 2,846 runs at an average of 58.08.
He is the only player to have scored more than 2,800 runs against India in this format.
His record includes 10 centuries and 11 half-centuries.
This stellar performance makes him one of the most successful batsmen in Test cricket history.
Information
Here are his Test numbers
Last month, Root became the fastest player to complete 13,000 Test runs in terms of matches taken. He needed 153 matches to get the mark. The batter will enter the India series with 13,006 runs. He averages 50.80 with the help of 36 tons and 65 fifties.
Upcoming challenges
Root eyes these records in upcoming series
Root is currently the leading run-scorer in ICC World Test Championship history (5,543).
In the upcoming series against India, he could become the first player to score 6,000 runs in this prestigious championship.
He could also go past Ponting's tally of 13,378 runs and become the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket history.
Currently, Jacques Kallis (13,289) and Rahul Dravid (13,288) are also ahead of him. Sachin Tendulkar leads with 15,921 runs.