"He doesn’t need to be a Bazballer" - Michael Vaughan urges Joe Root to play smartly in remaining IND vs ENG Tests

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has called for Ben Stokes and Co. to bat smartly in the remaining three Tests against India. Vaughan called for Joe Root to shed his aggressive approach as he doesn't have to be a 'Bazballer'.

Root's aggressive shot to get out early in his innings while chasing 399 against Vishakhapatnam has drawn plenty of backlash. The 33-year-old came down the track to clear the mid-wicket boundary but could only get an edge that sliced to backward point. At that stage, the tourists were still 245 runs shy of the target and eventually lost by 106 runs.

In his column for The Telegraph, the 48-year-old stated that Joe Root has accumulated 10,000 runs and must play smartly. He wrote:

"The batsmen 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 for 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."

The Yorkshire batter is due for a big score in the series, registering two single-figure scores in four innings. Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has troubled him the most in the series and has now claimed him eight times in Tests.

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"It's not the way England are going to win in India" - Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan. (Image Credits: Getty)

Vaughan underlined that Root is England's best player of spin and must put a heavy price on his wicket if they are to beat India, adding:

"It is time for someone in the management to put an arm around Joe and say, 'Please just be yourself.” 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."

England are currently on a break in Abu Dhabi and will return in time for the 3rd Test, beginning on February 15 in Rajkot.

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