Darren Lehmann: Root Must Score Big in Australia to Be Elite

Darren Lehmann the former Australia coach asserts that Joe Root must score a Test century in Australia to be recognized as an “all-time great” alongside batting legends Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson. Root holds a remarkable record of 35 Test centuries—the most by an England batter—but he has yet to achieve three figures in an away Ashes series.

In 27 innings in Australia, Root averages 35.68, with a top score of 89. Lehmann told ABC Sport, “I think Root is a great player, but not an all-time great. To earn that title, you need centuries in challenging conditions worldwide. Players like Smith, Williamson, Kohli, and Rohit Sharma meet that benchmark.”

Lehmann’s comments follow Australia’s 295-run loss to India in the first Test of their ongoing series where Kohli scored his 30th Test century and seventh in Australia. Darren Lehmann highlights Root’s failure to score centuries in Australia as the key factor that places him below his contemporaries.

Former New Zealand batter Martin Crowe labeled Root, Smith, Williamson and Kohli the “Fab Four” in 2014, predicting their rise as future legends of Test cricket. While Root has excelled since England’s last Ashes tour—scoring 12 hundreds and 11 fifties—his inability to shine in Australia continues to spark debate.

Ben Stokes leads England as they pursue the Ashes during the 2025-26 winter series, aiming to reclaim the urn after drawing the contest in 2023. Before that, England faces a three-Test series against New Zealand, beginning Wednesday at 22:00 GMT. Root’s form will play a pivotal role as England prepares for these crucial challenges.