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Joe Root reverse scoop dismissal reignites heated Bazball debate

Joe Root is one of the greatest batters of his generation but more than a few questions have been asked after his latest mind-boggling dismissal.

Andrew McMurtryAndrew McMurtry
@AndrewMcMurtry
5 min read
February 17, 2024 - 7:38PM
Joe Root is caught out from a reverse lap shot AGAIN!

The cricket world has been left divided after Joe Root was once again caught off a reverse scoop in England’s third Test in the series against India.

Root, one of the best batters of this generation, has bought into Bazball hook line and sinker.

And it’s not quite paid off.

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Just five overs into day three with England still 221 runs behind India’s first innings tally, Root took on the premeditated shot, hitting it straight to Yashasvi Jaiswal at second slip.

While it took some catching from Jaiswal, the commentators said it was the ninth time in 13 matches that Root has been caught off the shot, an astounding stat from a batter of his ilk.

It continues a frustrating run for Root, who has 70 runs at 14 for the series so far.

Dismissed for 18 off 31 balls, Root was furious that he didn’t cash in on what has proven to be a flat wicket in Rajkot.

But having been dismissed several times via the shot, it never looks any better, with Root getting panned for his shot selection and buying into Bazball when he’s just as entertaining when he anchors an innings.

Root famously told ESPNcricinfo: “I average more with that than with the forward defence, and I’ve got out with that plenty of times”.

The reserve scoop has failed Root again. Photo: Fox Sports
The reserve scoop has failed Root again. Photo: Fox Sports

While he’s also hit the reverse scoop for his fair share of fours and sixes, cricket greats have debated whether Root should put it away until he’s back in form.

Pre-Bazball, Root averaged 50.06 with 10,062 runs.

But since Bazball, his average has dropped under 50, although he has still averaged 47.47 under Ben Stokes as captain and Brendan McCullum as coach.

However, Root’s strike rate under Bazball is 73.87, well up from his career strike rate of 56.78.

It creates an interesting debate as obviously the faster you score, the more time you have to set up a game — but the more aggressively you bat, the more likely you are to play a rash stroke.

Broadcaster Piers Morgan entered the fray, clipping England fans for turning on Root over the shot.

“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 on X.

However, former captain Michael Vaughan replied immediately, writing: “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 ..”

The debate also kicked off on the broadcast.

Former England opener Nick Knight said on commentary: “It’s a brave shot that’s brought him a lot of runs over an extended period.

“But I just feel right now, he’s short of runs, it’s a flat pitch at the start of day three, Ben Duckett is at the other end, England on top going at five-and-a-half runs per over – you wonder whether he might look back and think ‘maybe I could’ve held that back for a bit longer’.”

But ex-English spinner Graeme Swann said it was all part of Bazball.

“If you live by the sword, you die by the sword,” Swann said in commentary.

“The shot to traditionalists and people watching the game, they will be throwing their hands up and saying: ‘What’s he doing? He’s too good for those shots.’ Well it’s brought him a lot of runs and he’s played it early on. It really is designed to throw a bowler off their length.

“If it doesn’t work, yes it looks bad … but my argument is if you were willing to accept the way Ben Duckett batted (on Friday) with his very unorthodox shots, that is all part of this new, fearless approach and putting pressure on the bowlers. If you’re happy to accept that brilliant hundred, you’ve got to accept it won’t work at all times for everybody.

“When it goes wrong, you have to take the rough with the smooth.”

Joe Root's face says it all. Photo: Fox Sports
Joe Root's face says it all. Photo: Fox Sports

Indian legend Ravi Shastri however, didn’t understand why Root would change what had made him so successful for so many years.

“The counter to that (Swann’s argument) is that people have seen him score 9000-plus runs,” Shastri said. “And having seen a lot of players who have scored that many runs over the last 10 to 15 years, the beauty about Root’s batting was that when he was in, the tempo and momentum he maintained allowed him to score at a very good rate.

“Therein lies the argument: When someone is scoring so freely, can one guy in the side carry on in that fashion as opposed to the others?

“When you look at Stokes, he takes his time. He’s in no hurry to try the reverses and the sweeps straight away. He could bat like this (defensively) for half an hour. If he’s in then take a look.”

Speaking on the BBC, former England spinner Phil Tufnell was equally baffled by Root’s insistence to try the risky approach.

“Joe Root is not a Bazballer,” he said.

“He’s a fabulous player but he’s been sucked into a game that doesn’t suit everyone and it doesn’t suit Joe. Reverse sweeping, ten minutes into day three to the best seam bowler in the world, fraught with danger – come on!”

The debate also raged online.

It’s the ninth time Jasprit Bumrah took the wicket of Joe Root in Tests. Photo by Punit PARANJPE / AFP
It’s the ninth time Jasprit Bumrah took the wicket of Joe Root in Tests. Photo by Punit PARANJPE / AFP

It’s not the first time the debate has raged with constant questions about Root going away from his natural game.

After the second Test, former English opener Michael Vaughan said while it works for some, Root is better without it.

“Joe Root should forget it. He has 10,000 Test runs playing like Joe Root. He doesn’t need to be a Bazballer,” Vaughan said.

“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.”

Vaughan said there’s no problem with the likes of Ben Duckett, Jonny Bairstow and Stokes teeing off Bazball style, but Root needed to bat more slowly and anchor the innings.

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The debate also raged during the Ashes when former English captain David Gower said: “I want Bazball to get smarter. I’m getting sick of people running down the pitch and missing it when they’re playing well.”

England went from 2/224 before Root’s dismissal to 319 all out, wasting Ben Duckett’s 151-ball 153.

It leaves India with a 126-run lead on the first innings.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/joe-root-reverse-scoop-dismissal-reignites-heated-bazball-debate/news-story/58121f0a9656a43c020a321995bc3743