Joe Root can be the Bazballer England needs without actually playing Bazball cricket
"We probably just rushed things a little bit" - Steve Smith's verdict after Australia's infamous capitulation in Delhi last year must have been similar to Joe Root's reaction on day 4 in Visakhapatnam.
Apart from Ben Stokes' lazy running to fall short at the striker's end, Root's uncharacteristic shot to perish was the only shocking aspect of England's performance in the second innings of the second Test. It raised uncomfortable questions about how helpful the influence of 'Bazball' has been on England's most technically sound batter.
It wasn't too long ago that 'Bazball' took shape and the Yorkshireman was at the forefront of it. The 33-year-old stood tall amid England's ruins as a Test team in 2021, plundering 1708 runs in 15 appearances, almost breaking Mohammed Yousuf's long-standing record. The emergence of a changed approach didn't diminish Root's output as he aggregated three hundreds during Ben Stokes' first summer as full-time captain.
However, his numbers in away Tests in the Ben Stokes era, barring the tour of New Zealand, leave a lot to be desired. Was Root's shot on day 4 in Visakhapatnam justified even by the standards of Bazball?
Steve Harmison hits the nail on the head regarding Bazball:
Former towering new-ball seamer Steve Harmison spelt out the basics of England's profound approach to Test cricket while speaking to ESPN Cricinfo. He reiterated that Bazball is about more than just sixes and fours, it's about allowing players to be the best versions of themselves.
While Root has claimed to be having fun in the Stokes' era and has played aggressively, evidenced by a strike rate of 75.01 since May 2022, it begs the question whether the Yorkshire man might have overdone it a touch.
His uncharacteristic gameplay was in contrast to the pre-Bazball Root, who was not only productive but also played mostly risk-free cricket. By playing two reverse sweeps against Ravichandran Ashwin for boundaries and stepping out to Axar Patel to send it over the fence, the Yorkshire man signalled that he means business. The frantic-yet-enterprising knock ended with an ugly hoick after dancing the ground, which skewed the ball towards backward point.
There are, of course, considerations to be made: Was his finger injury serious enough for him to go boom or bust? After not getting a headstart in his last two innings, did the right-hander plan to put his latest nemesis, Jasprit Bumrah, in defense mode?
Regardless of the answer, it is clear that Root should embody his own version of Bazball and doesn't necessarily need to follow the exact footsteps of Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, and Jonny Bairstow.
If 'Bazball' allows players to be the best version of themselves, the ex-captain must rediscover his best self: the pre-Bazball Root. He was characterized by assured starts, especially against spin, picking lengths quickly, letting the ball come to him, and playing it late.
It's also that version that wouldn't have put England's target of 399 beyond reach in Visakhapatnam. Finally, it's only that version of him in this batting line-up, who is capable of acing every phase during an innings across conditions.
Ollie Pope's Hyderabad's innings could prove to be the blueprint for Joe Root's resurgence:
Ollie Pope was a walking wicket against spinners and averaged a dismal 19.53 in four Tests during England's 2021 tour of India. Still, it is the Surrey batter's 196 in the first Test in Hyderabad in 2024 that is rated by many pundits a notch above Kevin Pietersen's 186 in Mumbai in 2012 due to the superior quality of spin attack.
Pope's innings on a surface that offered plenty for India's spin attack was characterized by nimble feet, getting to the pitch of the ball, and playing an array of sweeps and reverse sweeps to prevent the spinners from settling in.
It's the kind of responsible and the calculated aggression that England would hope to see from Root at some stage in India, preferably when the series is still within grasp. The former captain need not be anti-bazball, but he can easily mix himself among those who are its flag-bearers. That balance can be the holy grail, but it should be within the realms of one of the best batters of the generation.
Root must remind himself that he is the leader of this batting line-up and possesses the ability to improve the others' form as well. In what will be close mate Stokes' 100th Test appearance, the all-rounder's predecessor will equally be under the microscope.