Joe Root Looks To Build On Rediscovered Form In Milestone Test Against India

Joe Root will become the 15th England cricketer to play 100 Test matches when he takes the field at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 5. Among the batsmen considered the cream in contemporary cri

"It is a great achievement, the longevity. You need a good sense of humour. He [Root] has had a lot of highs but there will be moments when you have lows. You have to show character and resilience, tinker technique. Playing 100 Tests is no mean feat. He has always remained humble. Great student," said England batting coach Graham Thorpe, who also played 100 Test matches.

Root though had recently said that he doesn't consider himself to be in the same league as Kohli, Smith and Williamson.

"You're looking at three of the greatest players the game has seen. They're three brilliant people to watch play and learn from. I'm not sure I'd put myself in their bracket, to be honest," Joe Root told ESPNCricinfo recently.

However, if he leads England to even a draw in this series after racking up big scores he will surely be counted among that bracket of the top four batsmen.

Teammate and wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler on Saturday spoke on how crucial Root will be in India.

"Joe was in fantastic form in Sri Lanka. He has always had a brilliant game in playing spin bowling. One of the best exponents of sweeps shots which is obviously a big strength when playing against spin. It is obviously very hard to keep dot balls away. He has so many options to score. He scores quickly and rotates strike," said Buttler.

"I think the biggest thing when he batted against Sri Lanka was that he showed great application. Mentally, tactically and physically batted for so long. That is a great place for him to be at the start of the year."