Root dedicates 33rd ton to Thorpe

Joe Root has dedicated his record 33rd test ton to his former batting mentor, the late Graham Thorpe who ended his own life earlier this month. Root looked at the skies after scoring a record-equalling 33rd century alongside former skipper Alastair Cook who, until yesterday, was the one with the highest number of Test centuries for the three Lions. 

"I've been very lucky to work with a lot of people, whether it be senior players, coaches, mentors, and Thorpey was one of those people who offered me so much," Root said after his 143 helped the hosts recover from 130/4 to go to 358/7 at stumps on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka. 

“It was nice to be able to think of him [Thorpe] in that moment. He's someone I'm sorely going to miss, and who I owe a lot to. He put a lot into my game, into my career, and without his help, I definitely wouldn't be where I am now."

Thorpe, who post-retirement spent quite a bit of time in the English set-up, played a huge role in the batting evolution of Root, who is now only 198 runs away from becoming nation’s top test run-getter. 

"The first time I came across him was a second-team game at Stamford Bridge for Yorkshire against Surrey [in 2010]," Root said. "The following year, I made my way into the County Championship team and he was involved with the England Lions. Before I'd even made a hundred at first-class level, he picked me for a Lions game against Sri Lanka at Scarborough.

"He saw something with me and pushed hard for me to go away that winter and worked with him. We worked tirelessly on my game against spin - being able to get close to the ball, get away from it, utilising different sweeps - and also against pace... working very hard to make sure that those areas of the game which are different to county cricket, you are up to speed with," the champion batter recalled. 

Root made his test debut in England’s tour of India 2012 in Nagpur, a move recommended by Thorpe who went on to become England’s batting coach in white ball cricket the next year. 

"You're always having to evolve as a player, and you need people that you can bounce ideas off, people that can take pressure off you in different ways, and know how to talk to you when things aren't going well - and also when they are going well. I was very lucky to have someone like him... he was the one guy that was constant throughout that 10, 11, 12-year period.

"I could go to him under pressure, and I have a really good understanding of my own game and it evolved into more: I became good friends, and I really enjoyed spending a lot of time with him. It was nice to pay a small tribute. It's nothing, but he means a lot to me - and that was a small thank you."

Root did admit being a little restless though when stuck at 99 for almost two overs before the “element of relief when you cross the line”

Root was also in favour of England stand-in skipper Ollie Pope, who suffered a third successive failure in the series. Pope scored six in each innings in the opening test, before getting dismissed for one in the first innings at Lord’s. 

"It's so easy to make it something when it isn't at all," Root said defending Pope when asked about the added burden on him of having to lead the side in Ben Stokes's injury-forced absence. "He seems to be in a really good place with it. That's more of a storyline for [the media] to play around with. For him, it's business as usual, go out there and play in the manner that has given him so much success."