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Senior England batter Joe Root emphasized on Saturday that their ‘Bazball’ approach in Test cricket is not driven by “arrogance” but rather by the pursuit of the best outcome for the team. The statement comes after Root’s conservative approach in reaching his century in the first innings of the fourth Test against England in Ranchi.
Following England’s mammoth 434-run defeat to India in the third Test last week, there was widespread criticism surrounding their ultra-aggressive approach, which has been instilled under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. Root, in particular, was at the centre of criticism for his bizarre dismissals; he hadn’t score a single half-century across six innings before his ton in the ongoing Ranchi Test.
“There have been times recently when the best way to do that is by being a bit more aggressive. It’s like if I connect with that shot and execute it better, (Jasprit) Bumrah will be under pressure and our outlook on the game is very different again,” Root explained as he talked about England’s brand of cricket during the post-match press conference.
“It’s not about being arrogant… Bazball is a word that’s used a lot but that’s your word, that’s not how we look at it,” Root told reporters after the end of second day’s play in the fourth Test here.
“It’s about how can we get the best out of each other as a team, how we’re going to get better as a group. You’re not always going to get it right but we’ll continue to keep trying to improve.”
Root regained his form with a resilient, unbeaten 122 runs from 274 balls, playing a classic Test match innings. His performance proved instrumental in England’s recovery from a precarious position of 112 for 5 at Lunch on Day 1, ultimately posting a total of 353 runs.
In response, India ended the day at 219/7, still trailing by 134 runs on a slow wicket with a notably low bounce. Root stated that it had been a poor series for him and he had to delivery for the team.
“It felt like it’s been a long time coming, it’s been a lean series individually for me. You pride yourself as a senior player, especially with the history I’ve had in this part of the world, to try and make contributions that put you in positions to win games.
“It’s been disappointing but the fact I have got quite a lot of experience has been able to keep me calm and trust the stuff I am doing. The way I’m preparing meant it was going to come at some point. It was nice to do it yesterday when we were in the situation we were in at lunchtime,” said the England batter.
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