Since the start of last year, nobody in T20 cricket has perhaps played the reverse-scoop or the reverse-ramp as frequently as with so much incredible success as Joe Root has in Test cricket.
Joe Root may not be as bulky as Jonny Bairstow or someone who shows as much naked aggression as Stokes or Duckett. But the England number 4 has been one of the Bazballers of the Stokes-McCullum era, on the stability and calmness of which lays the pillar of England’s success.
Since April 2022, after Joe Root stepped down as England’s Test skipper and handed over the reins to Ben Stokes, nobody has scored more Test runs than him: at the time of writing, his 1498 runs have come at an average of 59 – not so much surprising as he’s been in surreal touch since 2021 – but they have come at a strike rate of 75 – until before this, his strike rate was an ordinary, usual 54.
A shot that has now become a trademark with Joe Root in the Bazball era has been the reverse ramp, something which he brought out to great effect against Mitchell Marsh on Day 3 of the ongoing 5th Ashes 2023 Test at The Oval.
Watch: Joe Root delight The Oval crowd with a stunning reverse-ramp
Joe Root played the ramp shot and it went for a six.
Root is a freak! pic.twitter.com/y40379XeTt
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 29, 2023
At the time of writing, at Tea break on Day 3, England are 265/4 in 49 overs with a lead of 253 runs. Joe Root is batting on 61* off 58 balls, having cracked 8 fours and 1 six, none risky and all effortless, showing his class and quality and perhaps currently the best Test batsman in the world, and he’s joined by Jonny Bairstow in the middle, who has scored 34* runs off 35 balls with 5 fours to his name.
After two quick wickets of Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, the pair has added 43 runs off 49 balls heading into Tea. The third session remains another important one in this series as England would be aiming to extend their lead beyond 350 runs. With showers predicted for the next two days, we might even see England declare toward the end of the day on Day 3.
