"One would like to think that the reverse scoop he plays is a limited-overs shot" - Sir Alastair Cook credits Joe Root for adapting to Bazball
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook praised Joe Root for making himself relevant even in the transformed landscape of Test cricket in the country. Root, who is closing in on Cook's record for most runs by an English batter in Tests, has been thriving under Ben Stokes' and Brendon McCullum's regime.
There were doubts initially as to how will the ace batter adapt to such an aggressive template. However, Root's run-scoring prowess has continued despite the radical change and he is on course to surpass several milestones in the next stage of his career as a senior player.
Praising Root's ability to adapt, taking his use of the reverse scoop as a prime example, Cook said in an interaction with the Times of India:
“Root has always been an extraordinary player. Sometimes I used to get frustrated playing with him because he came in to bat when I was batting in my 30s and in no time he was ahead of me. But playing this new way has given a new impetus to his career.
"Root has found his method and balance. One would like to think that the reverse scoop he plays is a limited-overs shot. But it is actually most effective against the length ball, a delivery that is rarely bowled in the latter stages of white-ball cricket."
Joe Root began the 2023 Ashes with a glorious hundred at Edgbaston but has slid since then. The former captain showed glimpses of form with a fifty in the drawn fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester.
Zak Crawley recently scored 189 runs at a strike rate in excess of 100 while his partner Ben Duckett is also no less when it comes to aggression. Opening batters used in the new regime like Alex Lees has also displayed the ability to score quick runs.
When asked how he would have approached the situation had he been part of the current England setup, Sir Alastair Cook replied:
“Maybe Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum would have liked to play a different player, or I would have had to play differently to get into the Test team. But that’s fine, because the effect that these guys are having on English cricket is phenomenal."
Cook was renowned for his temperament and ability to hold one side of the pitch. He finished his career with a strike rate of 46.96 after playing out 26,561 deliveries.
"It has been the biggest mental and technical shift that has happened on the cricket field" - Sir Alastair Cook on England's new approach
England's Test team were in a state of complete disarray during the final phase of Joe Root's captaincy tenure. A 4-0 drubbing in Australia and a 1-0 series loss in the Caribbean proved to be the final straw. England then proceeded to hire separate coaches for white-ball and red-ball cricket, a decision which turned out to be game-changing.
Since then, England have become one of the best Test sides in the world and have made serious strides in white-ball cricket as well by winning the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Sir Alastair Cook spoke about how the team has transformed over the course of the last 15 months or so.
"The effect of Brendon (McCullum; coach) and Stokes has been extraordinary. With the same set of players who won only once in 17 games, England have now won 13 out of 16," he explained.
"It has been the biggest mental and technical shift that has happened on the cricket field and the way it has freed up the players like Duckett, Joe Root, Crawley is unbelievable. An environment has been created where making mistakes is fine, as long as you are trying to be positive and entertaining," Cook continued.
England will be next seen in action during the fifth Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval from July 27 onwards.