Melbourne, Nov. 12 -- Former Australian cricketer Rodney Hogg has predicted that England's premier batter Joe Root will be a "total failure" during the Ashes Down Under, stating that his technique "does not work in Australia".

The Ashes in Australia will be a series crucial in determining Root's legacy as a Test batter. While he is already the second-highest run-getter in Test history, his performances in Australia have been sub-par, having never registered a century on fast and bouncy surfaces of Australia. Conquering the Aussie territory with a brilliant series with the bat and winning the series for England would do wonders to Root's status as one of the finest Test players ever.

"Joe Root will be a total failure in this series. His ...