Kevin Pietersen begs Ben Stokes to bowl Joe Root; England captain obliges and Root traps Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 1st over

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen urged the team management to bowl part-time spinner Joe Root early in the first session on Day 2. Kevin Pietersen mentioned that Joe Root could be more effective than other spinners in the ongoing first Test against India.

The Ben Stokes-led team managed to score 246 runs in the first innings after choosing to bat first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Skipper Ben Stokes led the team with a half-century, scoring 70 runs with the help of 6 boundaries and 3 sixes.

Ravindra Jadeja spearheaded India‘s bowling attack with figures of 3/68. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel secured three and two wickets, respectively. Ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah also played a vital role, claiming two wickets for 28 runs on the opening day.

In response, the Indian team had a good start, with openers Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring at a decent rate. However, left-arm spinner Jack Leach provided a breakthrough for the visiting team by dismissing the Indian skipper, who scored 24 runs off 27 balls.

The home team finished at 119/1 at stumps on the opening day of the series opener. Yashasvi Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 76 runs off 70 balls, including three sixes and nine boundaries. Shubman Gill, who batted at No. 3, scored 14 off 43 before the end of the day’s play.

Joe Root Will Spin The Ball – Kevin Pietersen

Before the start of the second day’s play, Kevin Pietersen suggested including Joe Root in the bowling lineup early in the first session. In a social media post, Pietersen emphasized Root’s spin capabilities and urged the team to utilize him for effective spin bowling.

“Can Joe Root PLEASE bowl first up this morning! He WIL spin the ball!” Kevin Pietersen wrote.

Can Joe Root PLEASE bowl first up this morning!
He WIL spin the ball! 🙏🏽#INDvENG

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 26, 2024

Joe Root gave England a strong start by dismissing India’s opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, in the first over on the second day. The left-handed batter, who scored 80 runs from 74 balls, hit a boundary off Root on the second delivery before being dismissed on the fourth ball.

Joe Root’s Bowling Performance In Test Cricket

Joe Root bagged 60 Test wickets with an average of 44.33, including one five-wicket haul and one four-wicket haul. Notably, Root’s best Test bowling figures of 5/8 were achieved against India during the Day-Night Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in 2021.

During that match, Root took five wickets for eight runs in 6.2 overs during India’s first innings. He dismissed Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar. Despite Root’s efforts, England faced defeat in the low-scoring Test, losing by 10 wickets within two days.

India’s Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Srikar Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England’s Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley, Mark Wood, Jack Leach

Also read: “End of it..”- Kevin Pietersen reacts to Virat Kohli leaving team India midway ahead of the Test series