Joe Root recently displaced the likes of Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 13,543 runs to his name.
As he goes after Sachin Tendulkar's record tally, the batter's consistency has taken him to 39 Test hundreds and to the top of the Test rankings.
He finished the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as the second-highest run getter with 537 runs at an average of 67.17 and three centuries.
Having dominated all around the world, the 34-year-old now eyes success in Australia in the Ashes later this year.
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Ahead of the series, with an ODI century against South Africa to his name recently, he has opened up about how his approach has changed under the coaching of Brendon McCullum since he took over in 2022.
Here's what he had to say.
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'I have benefited hugely from it...' Root on Brendon McCullum's coaching
In conversation with Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David Lloyd and Phil Tufnell on the Stick To Cricket Podcast, Root revealed a conversation with McCullum that changed his perspective on the game.
"One of the great things that I have enjoyed in the last 3 and a bit years is that Baz [McCullum] has completely opened my eyes up to look at the game differently. For a long time in my career, I was very technically minded. I looked at the game, am I in a good position, is my trigger right, am I aligning things well," he said.
"I remember having a conversation with him about a challenging seamer with his length. He said, 'That should make it easier for you, you know where the ball is going to be, why don't you change where you stand,'" he told.
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Speaking about what sets the former Kiwi captain apart, Root believed his biggest strength is to focus more on the tactical side and maximizing the options without solely depending upon the technical side of the game.
According to the English batter, McCullum focuses more on problem-solving and manipulating bowlers smartly with calculated risks, which breaks their rhythm..
"Just looking at the game from a completely different angle from how I had seen it. It's really opened my mind up, and I have benefited hugely from it," he emphasized.
Since McCullum took over the reins of the English Test team, Root has scored 3654 runs in 41 Tests at an average of 58 with the help of 14 centuries and 13 fifties — no other batter has scored more runs in this period.
Interestingly, since his appointment, the top four run scorers in Test cricket are all England batters. Root is followed by the likes of Harry Brook (2820 runs), Ben Duckett (2762 runs) and Ollie Pope (2575 runs).