"Joe Root needs to forget Bazball.."- Former England Captain

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan reckons Joe Root needs to stop playing Bazball and return to his basic style of playing textbook Test cricket. Joe Root has been underperforming as a Bazballer according to Michael Vaughan and he feels that if England has to be on the winning side then Joe Root should return to his previous style.

Joe Root has failed to deliver with the bat in the first two Tests against India in the five-match series even after having a terrific record against the same opponents.

Michael Vaughan wrote in his column for ‘The Telegraph’ about Joe Root’s strength as a textbook Test batter and how Bazball is holding him back from his true potential. He mentioned that he is okay with a few batters batting like that going on from ball one but he feels that Joe Root should forget that style as he has scored more than 10,000 Test runs as Joe Root and not as a Bazballer.

“The batsmen, meanwhile, look like they only have one way to play. They are in fifth gear from ball one. I don’t mind some of them playing like that because they are better at it. But Joe Root should forget it. He has 10,000 Test runs playing like Joe Root. He doesn’t need to be a Bazballer,” wrote Michael Vaughan in ‘The Telegraph’. He also talked about Root being one of the best players of spin produced by England after the great Graham Gooch.

“It is time for someone in the management to put an arm around Joe and say ‘Please just be yourself’. I think it’s as simple as the fact that he is too wrapped up in Bazball, the whole ethos of excitement and entertainment. This is particularly important against spin. Along with Graham Gooch, Root is the best player of spin England has ever produced. To see him bat the way he did in the second innings, that’s not Root, and it’s not the way England are going to win in India, just gifting wickets away,” he added.

Michael Vaughan Wants Joe Root To Be The Rock For England

Talking about Joe Root’s batting in the second Test Vaughan knew something was up when he saw Root playing reverse sweep to start his innings as he does not naturally play like that. The former England cricketer has urged Joe Root to be the calming influence on the team and only then England can be on the winning side. He asks the firecrackers to play Bazball while Root remains the Rock.

I knew something was up when I saw him get off the mark in both innings with reverse sweeps. He doesn’t play like that. He gets himself in, then takes risks. Let the firecrackers play like that. Joe has to be the rock, the calming influence while the mad men tee off around him,” added Michael Vaughan.

India and England will clash at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot for the third Test of the five-match series. The Test series is currently levelled at 1-1 with the visitors winning the first Test and the hosts making a comeback in the second Test. England won the first Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs whereas India made a brilliant comeback in the second Test in Vizag winning by 106 runs to level the series.

India has not lost a Test series since their defeat against England in 2012 when they were defeated by the Alastair Cook-led England side 2-1. The hosts have won 16 consecutive Test series in India since 2012 and are looking to make the streak count 17 after beating England in the ongoing series. The third Test commences on February 15, Thursday. The rest of the two Tests will be played in Ranchi and Dharamsala respectively.