"More about making a statement to everyone in the ground" - Joe Root on attempting reverse scoop on first ball of day four at Edgbaston
England's ace batter Joe Root reflected on his audacious attempt to play a reverse scoop on Day 4 of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. The right-handed batter stated the aim was to send a message to everybody on the ground about their intent.
With England overcoming a tricky period the previous day and leading by 21, Root attempted the reverse scoop straight away. While the 32-year-old missed the shot on that occasion, he was rewarded with two boundaries off the next over by Scott Boland.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Root admits that it was a risky shot but was unfazed by what happened as long as he wasn't dismissed. He said:
"It wasn't necessarily about making a statement to Australia, it was more about making a statement to everyone on the ground about how we want to go about things. Obviously, there's an element of risk to it but I just felt that as long as I didn't get out, it didn't matter what happened.
"I decided to play it about 10 minutes before I went out. We'd had a tricky period the night before and we felt like we had an opportunity to throw momentum back in our favor."
The Yorkshire batter also revealed how Nasser Hussain taught him how to manage his game and added:
"Nasser Hussain gave me some information about modes of dismissal in different periods of my innings and how to manage my game. It's nice to know there are people out there willing to help, even though it can seem like they are trying to rip your game apart on occasion.
"He went out of his way to make an impact in my career and I was grateful because it was a big help."
The former captain was England's best batter at Edgbaston, scoring 118 and 46. However, the hosts succumbed to a two-wicket loss while defending 281.
"I'm not a numbers guy" - Joe Root on his approach to the game
Root further asserted that his best is yet to come and that he will continue to work hard at the age of 32. He said:
"I'm not a numbers guy. Sport can be funny and very fickle. You have to respect the game and work hard. You have to enjoy every minute of that journey. I feel like the most exciting and best years are still ahead of me. At 32, it's really exciting to be able to say that."
The second Ashes Test starts at Lord's on Wednesday (June 28).