England batting coach Graham Gooch has heaped praise upon Joe Root for the youngster's 180 runs against Australia in the second Ashes Test.
Root steadied the ship during England's second innings, guiding them from 30-3 on day two before his eventual dismissal at 349-7 on day four.
It was the latest in a line of impressive performances in the 22-year-old's short international career so far, and Gooch believes that his maturity has allowed him to experience such success at such a young age.
"For every country in the world, sometimes players get thrown up who are not only skilful, have good disciplines and good habits but are very mature characters for young men," Gooch told reporters.
"I think from the first time we all experienced Joe in India, a few months back, it was quite evident that this lad was very mature mentally, had a good work ethic and was very keen to learn. One of the most important ingredients for a sportsman is he was prepared to drive his own career forward.
"He's not waiting for advice; he's seeking it. He's seeking information, looking for new ideas. It was not a surprising decision when he forced his way into the side on merit at Nagpur in that Test, and he's gone on and on."
However, while Gooch was keen to praise Root's potential, he warned that the youngster needs to keep his feet on the ground if he is to fulfil it.
"One innings doesn't make you a regular for a long period of time. He's shown good promise. He still needs to be tested in different conditions, if he goes down to Australia this winter," he added.
"He's not a complete player, like nobody's a complete player. He's a young player with great promise and great skill. Anyone who sees him play would think he's going to have a fruitful career - but you can't be sure."
England will be looking to win the urn for a third successive time when the third Test gets underway next week.
Barney Corkhill
