NEW DELHI, Aug 29
Joe Root dedicated his record-equalling 33rd Test hundred to Graham Thorpe, his long-term batting mentor who died this month aged 55. Root pointed to the skies after reaching three figures and paid tribute to Thorpe’s influence on his batting, saying he “definitely wouldn’t be where I am now” without him.
“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 that offered me so much,” Root said, after his 143 helped England pile on 358 for 7 against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.
“It was nice to be able to think of him in that moment. He’s someone that I’m going to sorely miss. He put a lot into my game, into my career, and without his help I definitely wouldn’t be where I am now.”
Thorpe, widely regarded as one of England’s best batters, took his own life earlier this month after what his family described as a battle with “major depression and anxiety”. He spent most of his post-playing career involved in the England set-up and was a prominent advocate for Root’s early elevation into the Test team, at the age of 21.
“The first time I came across him was a second-team game at Stamford Bridge for Yorkshire against Surrey [in 2010],” Root recalled. “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.” Thorpe encouraged Root’s selection for England’s tour to India in 2012, where he made his debut in the drawn fourth Test in Nagpur which secured a 2-1 win. “From that point onwards, we worked together,” Root said. “He became England’s white-ball batting coach, and then obviously in the Test team as well. I worked so hard at a number of different things.
“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.”
