New Delhi, Oct 13 : Joe Root says he feels 'better placed than ever' to finally score a Test hundred in Australia as he prepares for what he described as a 'mentally fatiguing' Ashes series later this year.

The former England captain, who will play his fourth Ashes series Down Under when the contest begins in Perth on November 21, admitted that questions about his failure to register a century in Australia are bound to resurface - but insists his focus remains firmly on helping England reclaim the urn.

'I feel I am in a different place to when I last went out there,' Root said while speaking to Sky Sports at a celebrity padel event in Sheffield. 'I haven't got the responsibility of captaincy and I am a lot more experienced. I have had a good couple of years coming in and I have learned good lessons from my previous tours there as a batter and senior player.'

Root's highest score in Australia remains 89, made in Brisbane during the 2021'22 series, despite having struck nine fifties across three tours. Now with 39 Test hundreds - behind only Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting - the 34-year-old believes this could finally be his time.

'I am sure there is going to be a lot of talk around (me not scoring a hundred as of yet) but I feel ready for it,' Root said. 'Big series are the ones you want to play in and contribute in. You want to create memories with the guys that you can share for the rest of your lives. I feel that is the opportunity in front of us that we have to chase and grab.'

Root added that personal milestones would take a back seat to team success. 'If I am doing my role in the team then personal accolades will come, but it's not the main focus. It's about winning that urn back as it has been a long time since we held it. I feel we have some serious resources to take out there and hit Australia with. Hopefully, we can get that right so if I am scoring heavily it gives us a chance.'

Reflecting on England's high-intensity 2'2 series draw at home to India this summer, Root said it provided ideal preparation for the challenge ahead. 'We got a small idea of what it is going to be like when we played against India - another huge series - so you are sort of ready for the extra stuff that sits around the games. We can take a lot of learnings into The Ashes,' he said.

'There are extra bits. The mental fatigue, a lot of cricket in a short space of time. It can take its toll mentally as well as physically so you have to have your plans. On the last two tours, there were a number of games, for the first two or three days, that were pretty even before Australia pulled away from us, played the conditions better than us, had better resources than us in those conditions.'

Root also praised captain Ben Stokes, who is working his way back from a shoulder injury. 'He is looking good. You know he is not going to leave any stone unturned and that he will give himself every possible chance to be absolutely ready for everything that is asked of him physically and mentally. He is very determined for us to give the best account of ourselves.'

/IANS