Joe Root set for 150th Test as England face New Zealand
Joe Root will compete in his 150th international Test today as England open their series against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
The 35-time centurion will remain on the England all-time list but inch closer to James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Alastair Cook ahead of him.
The feat comes as former Australia coach Darren Lehmann described Root as “a rung below” fellow Fab Four names Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson because he has not scored a century in Australia.
England will head Down Under next winter for the Ashes.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain hit back, however, saying: “Root is an all-time great, always will be a great and will end up an all-time great. Yes, the final piece of the jigsaw is getting runs in Australia… he’ll want to put that right in the next Ashes”
Added Root: “My job is to score runs, right? To turn up every game and try to do all I can out in the middle. His [Lehmann] job is to give his opinion and talk on the radio.
“I’ll do my job and he can do his job. He’s completely entitled to say what he wants. That’s his right.”
England’s last Test trip to New Zealand ended in a 1-1 draw with the second Test in Wellington still seen as one of the best of the modern era when the Black Caps held on to win by one run.
Play gets underway at 10pm.