NEW DELHI: England batter
Joe Root
received massive backlash for playing a
reverse scoop shot
in the third Test against India that led to his dismissal. Root's shot was even termed as 'stupidest in English
Test cricket
history' by Telegraph cricket writer Scyld Berry.
Attempting a reverse paddle against
Jasprit Bumrah
on a ball outside the off-stump in Rajkot, Root misjudged the shot and ended up getting caught at second slip.
But former England skipper Root silenced his critics as he led his team's remarkable turnaround from a precarious 112-5 with an unbeaten 122 before the tourists were all out for 353 in the first innings of the fourth Test in Ranchi.
Indian legend
Sunil Gavaskar
on Friday hailed Root for going against 'Bazball' approach with the bat and stepped up when England were in deep trouble.
Gavaskar also playfully expressed his disappointment, saying that he missed witnessing Root play a reverse scoop to reach his century during the final session.
After the second day's play, Root reacted to Gavaskar's light-hearted comment, saying that it was not a great option to play the reverse scoop on Ranchi wickets.
"It did briefly cross my mind. On that wicket, it's not a great option. If you look at it, the previous wicket (Rajkot pitch) was not that bad, but it's unfortunate that it kept a bit low. That's how it goes sometimes. But, contributing to this series was good. It was a lean series for me, I was desperate to get some runs for the guys and it was nice to do that today. Hopefully, I can continue to do that for the rest of the series," Root told Gavaskar during his chat with the official broadcasters on Saturday.
Root highlighted that he consistently adapts his game to suit the circumstances, a strategy that proved successful in propelling England into a formidable position.
"I think that's how I try and play every game, play the conditions and the situations of the game. It was very obvious what was needed in that situation on that surface. Thankfully, it paid off and we got ourselves into a nice position in the first innings. We will see how things progress. Obviously, it looks like it would keep deteriorating and keep getting worse. If we can get 3 early wickets tomorrow, that puts in a really strong position for the rest of the game," Root said.
English (US) ·