Joe Root vs Steve Smith Test Stats Comparison: Know Runs, Centuries, Ashes records

The Ashes 2023 is right around the corner and the whole world is waiting to see if Australia can regain the Urn or it be England it it’s bazball that will emerge triumphant.

England and Australia have had a great rivalry for over 150 years now. Every 2 years they play The Ashes series in their respective homes. But what entices audience the most is the individual rivalries between players.

Hence, in this article we will feature two of those, in the form of Joe Root and Steve Smith. And will take a look at Root vs Smith Test Stats comparison.

Both cricketing nations are known to have produced infinite legends who have made this game of bat and ball a religious virtue. All of them, from Australia’s Shane Warne and Sir Don Bradman to England’s Alastair Cook and Ian Botham, have taken test cricket to another level. The greatest cricket rivalry of all time has also seen the rise and fall of all of these greats. 

One can never overlook the top two batters of the modern era of test cricket when mentioning the stars of both countries.

The Aussie vice-captain Steve Smith and English former captain Joe Root’s names will forever be written in bold when talking about The Ashes. 

There have been 20,257 runs scored by the two batters combined in the old bilateral series. Not only so, the two star batters have numerous backing their talent. On that note, in this article we will compare and contrast Joe root and Steve Smith’s Test batting records to find out who rules the modern day test cricket.

Joe Root vs Steve Smith: Test Overview

Australia’s Steve Smith and England’s Joe Root are two of the greatest batters to have graced Test cricket. Steve Smith is an unorthodox batter, he is often hailed as the best test batsman after Sir Don Bradman.

Meanwhile, the Yorkshire batter Root is currently in the form of his life. Unlike Smith, who feeds on the quirks to score his runs, Root is more orthodox and backs his defense ahead of anything to score the plethora of runs he has to his name from all across the globe. Both have had stupendous careers since they arrived in red-ball cricket.

Both Smith and Root are among the rare breed of cricketers. The hunger to score runs has made them a living legend in the longest and the purest format of the game. And that is why the two are a part of ‘The Fab Four’.

Also read: Fab 4 Cricket: Who are Fab Four in Cricket- Centuries, Runs, and Captaincy Records

Joe Root vs Steve Smith Test Stats Comparison

Making his Test debut in 2012, Joseph Edward Root is currently the leading run-scorer among all active batters and the eleventh highest run-scorer of all time Test cricket.

On the other hand, Smith began his Test career in 2010 as a leg spinner who batted at No. 8; by the time he was named Australia’s captain five years later, he was the No. 1 Test batter in the world and no more than an occasional bowler. 

While 33-year-old Smith has now hit 30 Test tons in just 92 matches, Root has notched 28 in 127 Test matches since making his debut in 2012. Root’s latest century came against India at Edgbaston, where he guided England to a thrilling victory.

Joe Root’s unbeaten 142 was his 11th Test century since 2021, and fifth in 2022.

Meanwhile, Smith equalled Root after he smashed an unbeaten 145-run innings off 272 balls against Sri Lanka in the second Test at Galle International Stadium in July.

The former England captain is also the first batter among the ‘Fab Four’ to breach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket. He achieved the feat in the first Test against New Zealand at the Lord’s in 2022.

Joe Root vs Steve Smith Test Bowling Stats

Having seen how the two batter are neck to neck in batting department, we decided to throw in another metric of comparison between the two players in the form of Joe Root vs Steve Smith Test Bowling Stats.

Did you Know that although Smith started his career as a bowler, it is Joe Root who has a fifer in test. Yes, Joe Root, who bowls part time off spin has a fifer to his name. And that too against India.

In Total Joe Root has taken a total of 53 wickets.

Joe Root vs Steve Smith: Who has more test centuries?

Joe Root and Steve Smith have been going neck to neck in test cricket for over a decade now. However, sometimes there are individual records like centuries that make all the difference. Hence it becomes important to see who has more centuries in test cricket.

Making a century in test cricket is more than just scoring runs against one opposition. A century in test cricket is much more than just a test of your batting skills. Rather, it is the test of your patience, endurance and character.

Therefore, not many players have been able to accumulate even 10 centuries in their career. However, Steven Smith and Joe Root have plethora of centuries in test cricket.

Below is a list of Joe Root and Steve Smith test centuries:

Joe Root vs Steve Smith: Who rules the Ashes?

Smith has the fourth-most runs among Australians and the seventh-most overall in the Ashes. He has racked up 2,800 runs from 27 matches at an astonishing average of 65.11.

Smith is one of the four players to have slammed 10 or more centuries in the Ashes. He has 11 tons and nine half-centuries. Smith has a best Ashes score of 239.

Smith holds the record of smashing 10 consecutive 50+ scores in the Ashes. His incredible run started from the Perth Test in December 2017 and ended at The Oval in September 2019. Smith’s scores during this period read as – 239, 76, 102*, 83, 144, 142, 92, 211, 82, and 80. He remains the only player to have achieved this feat in the Ashes.

On the other hand, the Yorkshireman has stacked up 2,016 runs in 29 matches. He averages a modest 38.76, compared to Smith’s 59.68. He has three centuries to go along with 16 fifties.

Root has recorded more wins as skipper than any of his compatriots (27), but also suffered more defeats (26) in the role than others. Of those defeats, England’s woeful 2019 Ashes record of meek surrenders against Australia stands out.

While Smith had a much memorable Ashes outing in the 2019 edition, Root had a much forgetful one.

Joe Root or Steve Smith: Making the choice

While Root in his 11-year-long career has played with alacrity on all surfaces and in all formats and his obvious delight in his art was a positive symbol in an England side committed in all formats to a more enterprising approach.

He is regarded as rare among England batsmen in achieving maturity so quickly, and had looked consumed by the delights of batting from the moment he first took guard.

The best Test batsman at present, Steven Smith’s career redemption is a story for the ages. After his debut 13 years ago, there was immense criticism, even among those in Australia over the quality of his selection during his early days in international cricket.

However, they were made to eat humble pie as the enigmatic man from New South Wales turned things around in sensational fashion to feature among the best batsmen in the world.

Analyzing their legacy is a tough task, given the peak and troughs they both have encountered their long journey in the red-ball cricket.

However, the stats and an elaborate analysis of both the legends are right in front of you, so the choice is yours to make.

Thank you for reading.