bazball-for-getting-best-results-not-for-arrogance-joe-root

Senior England batter Joe Root on Saturday said that his side's 'Bazball' approach in Test cricket is not about being arrogant but about getting the best result for the team.

 

England's record 434-run loss to India in the third Test in Rajkot led to widespread criticism about the ultra-aggressive approach they have adopted under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

 

"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.

 

"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 the 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 emphasised the importance of adapting and evolving as a batter to counter the skills of world-class bowlers.

 

He returned to form with an unbeaten 122 from 274 balls in a classical Test match innings that helped England recover from 112 for 5 at lunch on day one to post 353.

 

In reply, India were 219 for 7 at stumps on Saturday, still trailing by 134 runs on a slow wicket with unusually low bounce.

 

 

'Brilliant Bashir'

 

Young spinner Shoaib Bashir grabbed four wickets in a marathon spell of 31 overs that spanned across all three sessions. He bowled one before lunch and then operated non-stop in the remaining two sessions with a total of 32 overs under his belt.

 

"The way he bowls is a great little insight into his character and personality, he is quite cheeky and great fun to be around.

 

"There's a huge amount of skill in what he does, as he proved with the way he bowled for not just small spells but a long time," Root said.

 

"We've got ourselves into a nice position at the end of the first innings. It looks like it (pitch) is going to keep deteriorating and keep getting worse.

 

"So if we can get three early wickets tomorrow, hopefully, that puts us in a really strong position for the rest of the game," he signed off.