Bazball not about being arrogant but bringing best out of team: Root
England's record 434-run loss to India in the third Test in Rajkot led to widespread criticism about their ultra-aggressive approach they have adopted under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes
PTI
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You’re not always going to get it right but we’ll continue to keep trying to improve, Root said. PHOTO: PTI
Ranchi, 24 Feb
Senior England batter Joe Root on
Saturday said 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 their
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 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. "The reason I’ve
played as many games as I have is that I’ve not wanted to stand still as a
player, I have to try to keep evolving. If you keep on playing the same way
over and over again, teams work you out, figure you out and find your
weaknesses.
"They are world-class bowlers
for a reason and there’s a lot of information out there. So if you don’t try to
get better and find different ways of scoring runs, you’ll get found out. You’re
not always going to get it right but if you’re not willing to make mistakes
every now and then and sometimes get it wrong it doesn’t matter anyway because
they’re still going to find you out."
Root 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.
"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," he said.
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