Former England pacer Steve Harmison has predicted a spectacular Ashes campaign for Joe Root, expecting him to finally end his century drought in Australia. Speaking to Fox Cricket, Harmison backed Root to average 150 and play a decisive role in England regaining the Ashes urn for the first time since 2015.
Root, 34, has scored four centuries against Australia at home but has yet to reach three figures in 14 Tests on Australian soil. Harmison said, “People have been telling me for two years that Joe Root is coming over to Australia to average 50. He’s not. I think he’s coming over to average 150. I really do.”
With Sachin Tendulkar’s Test run record of 15,921 in sight, Harmison believes this Ashes series could be a key milestone for Root. He also forecasted that Root might surpass Alastair Cook’s 766 runs from England’s 2010–11 Ashes win.
Harmison cited Australia captain Pat Cummins’ lower back stress injury, which could see him miss the series opener in Perth on November 21, as a factor that might help Root flourish. “He’s vulnerable for the first 15–20 balls, but after that, he just keeps accumulating,” he noted.
The former pacer also predicted an England 3-1 series win, dismissing fears that the visitors are intimidated by Australia. “England don’t fear Australia anymore. I don’t think there’s fear in the world with the way these young players approach the game,” he added.
Under Ben Stokes’ leadership, England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style has transformed their Test cricket approach. However, England have not won a Test match in Australia since 2011, making this series a challenging yet promising campaign for Root and his team.
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