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Former England fast-bowler Darren Gough raised concerns about premier batter Joe Root’s ‘reckless’ style of getting out in England’s 106-run defeat to India in the second Test at Visakhapatnam. On day four of the match at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, England, adopting an uber-attacking approach, fell short, getting bowled out for 292 in 69.2 overs.
Despite Zak Crawley’s resilient 73, no other batter surpassed the 50-run mark in their fourth-innings chase, leading to India leveling the five-match series at 1-1. Root, batting with an injured right little finger, took an aggressive stance, attempting reverse sweeps and smacking sixes.
However, his frenetic innings concluded with a miscued slog off Ravichandran Ashwin, caught by short third man, contributing only 16 runs off nine balls. Root has faced a challenging run with the bat in the ongoing Test series against India, with scores of 29, 2, 5, and 16.
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Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook also expressed similar concerns about Root’s approach in the Bazball era. “Joe Root is England’s best batter. But he does struggle sometimes with the tempo of this Bazball era. He sees all of these other people playing aggressive shots, which really suits their style…and he is desperate to fit in with what Brendon (McCullum) and Ben (Stokes) are doing.”
Cook elaborated on Root’s struggle to find the right balance between defense and attack, highlighting a departure from his usual controlled aggression. He mentioned Root’s desire to adapt to the aggressive playing style prevalent in the Ben Stokes era but emphasized the need for a balanced approach.
Cook also noted the statistical improvement in Root’s game under Ben Stokes’ captaincy, with an increased strike rate to 75. While critics question Root’s adaptation to the aggressive style, the stats suggest a positive impact on his game.
-IANS
