2. Joe Root (England)
English Test Vice-captain, Joe Root finished the year with a massive total of 1,477 runs at 49.23 to emerge as the highest run-scorer in white jersey, this year. The classical back-foot batsman plays with an infectious positivity and makes things relatively easy on the crease. Right from the South Africa tour to India, Root’s consistency prevailed.
In Johannesburg, he scored a counter-attacking 139-ball 117 run knock to get the Poms going. However, his best display came against Pakistan at Manchester when he crafted a big innings of 254 runs. In India, the smiling assassin scored 50 or more runs in each of the five Tests. England’s young star grinded a fine century at Rajkot but his 112-ball 77 at Mumbai, in fourth innings of the Test, was a master class on how to play world class spinners of India, for any overseas batsman.
