What Was The Reason Behind Joe Root's Unique Celebration After Another Hundred?
Joe Root scored his 39th Test century, paying tribute to Graham Thorpe, who died by suicide. Root wore a bandana in Thorpe's style, highlighting mental health issues in cricket.
On Sunday, seasoned England batter Joe Root scored his 39th Test century and paid tribute to former England batter Graham Thorpe, who died by suicide on August 4, 2024. Root honoured Thorpe, whose birth anniversary was two days prior, by wearing a bandana in his style on the fourth day of the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval.
Root anchored England's second innings and established a crucial partnership with Harry Brook. Together, they shared a 195-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Root reached his century with a double in the 60th over, bowled by Akash Deep. He achieved his hundred off 137 balls, hitting 12 fours.
What particularly caught the eye and earned appreciation from England fans was his tribute after reaching the century. Root kissed the badge on his helmet, raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd's applause, then donned the 'Graham Thorpe headband' and pointed skyward.
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Thorpe was a premier batsman for England in both red-ball and white-ball cricket from the mid-90s until 2005 when he retired. He served as the batting coach for the England Test team until he was dismissed, along with other support staff, following England's 0-4 defeat in the Ashes series of 2021-22.
Thorpe, aged 55, died by suicide by stepping in front of a train. His family publicly disclosed that he had been struggling with mental health issues to raise awareness.
By paying tribute to Thorpe upon completing his century, Root has brought attention to the mental health issues increasingly affecting cricketers due to the demanding lifestyle and various formats of the modern-day game.
The left-handed batsman, who spent his entire professional career in south London with Surrey, scored 6,744 Test runs at an average of 44.66 in 100 matches from 1993 to 2005.
Thorpe later held various coaching positions, including a role as England's batting coach, where he worked with current players such as Test captain Ben Stokes and Root.
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