Attempting a reverse paddle against India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah on a ball outside the off-stump in Rajkot, Root misjudged the shot and ended up getting caught at second slip.This marked another batting failure for Root in the ongoing series.His departure at 18 opened the door for India, who had started the day at a disadvantage with Ravichandran Ashwin’s sudden withdrawal from the match overnight to be with his ailing mother.
Cricketers and pundits remarked that the former England captain, with over 11,000 runs in 138 Tests, erred in attempting to adapt to England’s aggressive “Bazball” style of cricket.
“Joe Root’s latest Bazball shot is the stupidest in English Test cricket history,” read a headline for a scathing article by Telegraph cricket writer Scyld Berry.
Former captain Michael Vaughan wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Root was “far too good to gift India such a cheap wicket 20 mins into a crucial day when they are down to 10 players.”
England resumed the day on 207-2 but were bowled out for 319, conceding India a huge lead of 126.
Ben Duckett top-scored with 153 and skipper Ben Stokes hit 41 in his landmark 100th Test but the rest of the batting fell apart.
But Duckett defended his senior partner’s adventurous shot.
“I’d be interested to know if those people were against it when he was doing it to Pat Cummins and hitting him for six in the summer,” Duckett told reporters.
“It’s the same as me playing a reverse sweep and getting caught at point,” he added. “That shot has been very successful for him over the past year so next time it may go over slip.”
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said critics should hold their fire for a batsman who has been successful with unorthodox shots.
“When he is playing those reverse scoops first ball of the day of an Ashes game and it goes for six we all jump up and applaud and go ‘wow, Joe Root’,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.
“And he does it to Bumrah and gets out, we go ‘what a disgrace’.”
India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj returned figures of 4-84 to be chief demolisher of England’s batting with his yorkers and slower balls.
He said Root’s choice of the shot had left him surprised and helped India pull ahead.
“If he had played a little more then it would have been difficult for us,” said Siraj.
“Suddenly he played that shot which was not on. But it turned out good for us.”
Root, with scores of 29, two, five, 16 and 18, has failed to fire in the five match series, which stands level at 1-1.
(With inputs from AFP)