"From Brainlessball to Blockball, the Bazballers have seen the light"- Netizens react after Joe Root's patient century on day 1 of 4th IND vs ENG Test
England stalwart Joe Root ended his lean run of batting form by notching up his 31st century on Day 1 of the fourth Test against India on Friday (February 23) at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.
It was a much-needed knock for Joe Root, who he was under pressure to deliver going into this match after failing to do so in the first three Tests. He opted out of England's famed Bazball policy and batted at a strike rate of 46.90, which yielded results for the technically-gifted Englishman.
Fans took note of Root's classical Test inning in Ranchi and expressed their views through X. Here are some of the top reactions:
English skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first earlier in the morning. The visiting team's top order were reduced to 112/5 at the end of the first session, giving an early advantage to the hosts. England's talisman Joe Root was left to do a rescue job and he did not disappoint his side.
He dug in deep and played patiently to bail his side out of trouble. Root built a 113-run partnership with Ben Foakes (47) as the duo played out the whole second session without losing a wicket. After Foakes and Tom Hartley's departure, Joe Root put on an unbeaten 57-run stand with Ollie Robinson (31*) to take England to 302/7 at stumps.
"Whenever I've played a game, I played like it was the last game of my life"- Akash Deep after Day 1 of 4th India vs England Test
Team India pacer Akash Deep had a memorable Test debut as he picked up the wickets of the first three batters in the England line-up with the new ball. Reflecting on his performance at the end of the day, Akash said:
"Wasn't tensed, there was a lot of discussions prior to the game with coaches and Rohit bhai, I've been playing a lot of games and the process was same.
He added:
"I'm not quite sure, whenever I've played a game, played like it was the last game of my life, kept it simple and tried to repeat the good things in all the games. In domestic cricket, we pitch the ball up a bit and Bumrah also told me that, to pull the length back a bit as the batters chase the ball a bit, the plan was the same to concentrate on line and lengths."
Which team has the upper-hand going into the second day of the 4th Test? Let us know your views in the comments section below.