77 runs in six innings at an average of 12.83. 7 wickets in 107 overs with one four-wicket haul. These numbers don’t look good even for a specialist bowler. But these stats are of arugably England’s best ever batter Joe Root who has literally struggled with the bat on probably best pitches for batting in India in last few years. Moreover, the obssession with his spin, thanks to success on last tour, has been so much that he has bowled more overs than scoring runs so far.
Also, Root is being massively criticised for playing reverse scoop off Jasprit Bumrah and getting caught at the second slip. It has also been termed ‘stupidest shot’ in English Test history but skipper Ben Stokes isn’t worried about his former captain and his form. He highlighted the thinking that went behind playing the shot while also stating that it was a chance for him to make Bumrah think as well. At the same time, Stokes didn’t deny that the wicket was the turning point in the match.
“It definitely was a turning point. Joe Root’s scored nearly 12,000 runs, I think we can leave the decision-making and ‘why’ with Joe. I can understand why there would be frustration around that because of how good a player Joe is. Jasprit Bumrah has got him out a couple of times this tour early on. And I thought Joe was looking really, really good at the crease, and he sensed that as a time to put something different back onto Jasprit and make him maybe think about something.
“Because what that shot does for Joe is it makes fields change, makes bowlers’ mindset change towards him. He got out to it, and it’s not a shot you necessarily see Test match players playing. But look, who am I to question a guy who has 30 Test match hundreds, nearly 12,000 Test match runs. I think he knows what he’s doing,” the English captain said.
Is bowling affecting Joe Root’s form with the bat? Ben Stokes bluntly rejected this thought and noted that the man loves taking the responsibility. “I think that would be a cop out thing to say. You ask Joe that and he would say ‘absolutely not’. He loves having the responsibility of bowling and influencing the game. He’s influenced so many Test matches with the bat and I always thought he under-bowled himself as a captain, I think he’s a lot better than what he gives himself credit for. But by no means do I think him bowling more overs is the reason as to why he’s not getting the runs he would like to. You would never hear him say that either,” Stokes further said.