Joe Root has said he would “love” to be part of England’s next Ashes tour in 2029-30, when he will be 39.
England’s all-time leading scorer celebrated his 41st century on the second day of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, the finale of his fourth tour to the Antipodes.
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Despite a successful career, Root never won an Ashes series in Australia. England’s victory in the fourth Test of this series was Root’s first in 18 attempts.
If the former England captain extends his career for another four years, he will likely break the record for the most number of Test caps and appearances.
“One thing I always try to consider is opportunities,” Root said. “I don’t know how many opportunities I will have when I come back to Australia.”
Asked if he would like to be part of the next Ashes tour, Root said: “Who knows? We’ll see. I’d love to. We’ll see how things go over time.”
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Root’s 160 helped England reach a total of 384 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, before Australia responded with 166-2. He spent almost two hours off the field during Australia’s innings, an absence which was later attributed to back cramps.
That final century took Root to 13,937 Test runs, just under 2,000 behind Indian great Sachin Tendulkar, the only man with more. Root is playing his 163rd Test and four more years as an England international would provide enough opportunities to surpass Tendulkar’s record of 200 caps.
Root is a two-time Ashes winner in home series, but his career has coincided with England’s dismal record down under.
In Root’s three previous tours, England lost 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0. He was captain in both 4-0 defeats.
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England dropped this series with defeats in the first three Tests, but managed to avoid a 5-0 sweep with victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was a first victory in Australia for Root and his successor as England captain Ben Stokes.
“It was great to win at the MCG,” Root said. “I hope it will benefit the Test team when they come back to play here, having good memories.
“For a lot of this team it’s the first time they’ve been here, so if they have good memories and we can find a way to win this game, the next time we come out the last two memories we’d have here would be two Ashes wins.
“The baggage that might have been there for a previous generation may not be there for them. There’s so much at play over the next three days.”
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Root has had a tough time in Sydney before. In 2013-14, on his maiden Ashes tour, the Yorkshireman was left out in Sydney – the only time he has been dropped in his Test career.
Four years later, he ended up in hospital after hitting temperatures of 47°C (116.6F). The illness prevented him from fulfilling his post-series presentation and media duties as captain.
Earlier in this tour, Root finally made his first Ashes hundred in Australia during the second Test in Brisbane.
He replicated his Gabba celebration when he reached triple figures at the Sydney Cricket Ground, shrugging his shoulders at the Barmy Army.
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“We had incredible support in this series and we weren’t able to achieve what we had planned,” Root said.
“At no time has it faltered, and at no time has it ever faltered when I’ve been here on tour. It’s been exceptional. This is my way of saying thank you.”
