Joe Root provided an exhibition of batting on a low-bouncing pitch that was filled with cracks in the fourth Test against India in Ranchi.
On what was being labeled as the toughest pitch for the batters in this series, Joe Root made his first big score of the series. He had managed only 77 runs in the first three Tests, but the major criticism against him was regarding his dismissal in the previous Test while playing a reverse ramp to Jasprit Bumrah.
England were 112/5 in the first session before Root performed the rescue act in partnerships with Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson to take England to over 300 and notch up his 10th Test century against India.
In his column for the Daily Mail, former England captain Nasser Hussain heaped huge praises over the 33-year-old England star batsman. Hussain reckoned Root “judged things perfectly” regarding the pitch and his shot selection.
Nasser Hussain wrote, “I said before this Test that England didn’t need to move away from Bazball – they just needed to be smarter with it. And on the first day in Ranchi, they were very smart indeed.
“Root, on the other hand, decided to absorb pressure – and England have repeatedly said that is an important facet of the way they play. It’s not all about slogging, despite what people think. And, with Foakes, he helped turn around a precarious 112 for five into a much more healthy 302 for seven by stumps on day one.
“Root judged things perfectly. Make no mistake: he’ll have been stung by the criticism of the reverse ramp that cost him his wicket against Jasprit Bumrah in Rajkot, and you could see the steel in his eyes when he reached his milestones. We’re so used to seeing him play with a smile on his face. Here, it was as if he was sending everyone a message: I’m Joe Root, and I’m one of the greats.”
Joe Root has been doing self-reflection throughout his career: Nasser Hussain
After England’s huge defeat in Rajkot, the talking point was Joe Root’s first innings dismissal that triggered a match-losing collapse.
Hussain hailed Root’s ability to self-analyze and come back to the top immediately in the next Test.
The commentator added, “You don’t score 31 Test hundreds and more than 11,500 runs without the ability to analyse your own game. Before this game, the captain asked for some self-reflection from his team, and Root has been doing that throughout his career.
“It’s not just the reverse ramp that will have been on his mind. It has brought him plenty of runs in the last two years, and which I have no doubt he’ll use again when he believes the situation demands it. Mistakes happen all the time in sport: it’s how you react to them that counts.”
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