"Ben Stokes doesn’t Bazball" - Michael Vaughan slams Joe Root for poor shot selection in 3rd IND vs ENG Test

Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan criticized Joe Root for his lackluster batting performance during the ongoing third Test against India. Michael Vaughan stated that Joe Root should adapt his approach to the situation rather than playing reckless shots.

Joe Root was dismissed by India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah early on day three in England’s first innings in Rajkot. The right-handed batter attempted a reverse ramp shot but mistimed it. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was stationed at second slip, took the catch comfortably.

Joe Root faced criticism from former cricketers for his shot selection, which led to his dismissal. He had to depart after scoring 18 runs off 31 deliveries, including two fours. However, the 33-year-old has had success with the unorthodox shot in international cricket.

Bazball Is Brilliant – Good, Bad, Sometimes Ugly – Piers Morgan

British journalist Piers Morgan supported Joe Root, emphasizing that England cricket fans should embrace the excitement of aggressive shots in cricket. He described ‘Bazball’ as thrilling and exhilarating to watch, despite occasional flaws.

“England cricket fans who turn on players like Root whenever they get out to an aggressive shot need to give their traditional old wizened heads a massive wobble. Bazball is brilliant – good, bad, sometimes ugly, but usually scintillating, and always thrilling to watch,” Morgan wrote.

Joe Root Is Far Too Good To Gift India – Michael Vaughan

In response to Piers Morgan’s remarks, Michael Vaughan stated that the skipper, Ben Stokes, doesn’t play Bazball, but rather adjusts to the situation. Vaughan expressed disappointment with Root’s dismissal, considering the crucial moment in the game and the team’s advantage of playing against the Indian team, which has 10 players.

“Utter rubbish piers .. the skipper doesn’t Bazball .. he plays the situation .. Joe is far too good to gift India such a cheap wicket 20 mins into a crucial day when they are down to 10 players .. Sport is about changing styles at the right time..,” Vaughan stated.

Utter rubbish piers .. the skipper doesn’t Bazball .. he plays the situation .. Joe is far too good to gift India such a cheap wicket 20 mins into a crucial day when they are down to 10 players .. Sport is about changing styles at the right time .. https://t.co/e5mTxriTFq

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 17, 2024

The former England skipper has scored just 70 runs at a disappointing batting average of 14 in the five innings of the ongoing Test series. The right-handed batter has failed to reach a half-century, with a best score of 29.

England Lost Three Wickets In First Session On Day 3

The team led by Ben Stokes began the third day’s play with a score of 207/2, with Ben Duckett and Joe Root as the overnight batters in the first innings. However, Root was dismissed within the first session, leading to a mini-collapse in the ongoing red-ball match.

After Root’s dismissal, Jonny Bairstow was dismissed for a duck by Kuldeep Yadav in the next over. Kuldeep Yadav then went on to dismiss Ben Duckett, limiting the opposition to 225/4. Duckett scored 153 runs off 151 balls, including 23 boundaries and two sixes.

Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes added crucial runs for the sixth wicket without losing any further wickets in the session. The English team ended with 290/5 before the lunch break on Day 3. However, the two batters were dismissed in quick succession after the break.

Also read: “Jasprit Bumrah owns Joe Root” – Twitter reacts as England batter fails again with Bazball approach