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The Australian media continues the psychological warfare ahead of The Ashes. After targeting captain Ben Stokes, they are now after one of England's most prolific batters, Joe Root.

With the Ashes Test series closing in and the England camp assembling in Perth, the attention is on the visiting side as they are yet to secure a win over Australia in quite a while.

The English side's struggles across all formats have been inevitable. In red-ball cricket, the Ben Stokes-led side is coming off a series draw against India, who were led by the young and dynamic Shubman Gill.

Australian Media Brands Joe Root A 'Pretender' Before Ashes

With the Ashes series fast approaching, Australia and England are all set to add a new chapter to their decade-old cricketing rivalry.

The last time the Aussies toured England, it was a glittering affair mixed with on-field drama. England managed to avoid embarrassment by levelling the series 2-2. This time, the bouncy conditions in Australia promise added intrigue.

England batter Joe Root has landed in Perth, Western Australia, to join the English camp ahead of the series opener clash. Upon his arrival, The West Australian put forth a scalding front-page publication on their weekly tabloid titled 'Average Joe.'

The Perth-based daily newspaper further wrote, "Dud Root Down Under: Hero in the homeland, pretender in Australia."

Why Is Joe Root Targeted Viciously By The Australian Media?

Over the years, Joe Root has built a legacy like no other in Test cricket. In his 2025 outing so far, Root rose through the ranks by eclipsing stars like Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis to become the second-highest run-getter in Test cricket history.

Root delivered throughout the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. But the one milestone he has missed out on is scoring a century on Australian turf.

In Australian conditions, the prolific English cricketer has batted in 27 innings and picked up nine half-centuries. But he has failed to convert them into a hundred. Root's highest score while playing Down Under was 89 during the 2021 Ashes in Brisbane.

The former England captain would be optimistic to put up a run-fest in Australia and get the burden off his shoulders.