“Who am I to question a guy who has 30 Test match hundreds?” - Ben Stokes backs Joe Root amid growing criticism
England captain Ben Stokes has cheekily admitted that Joe Root’s dismissal while attempting to play a reverse scoop in the first innings in Rajkot proved to be the turning point of the match. He, however, added that he wouldn’t question the choice of stroke from someone who has 30 Test tons and 12,000 runs.
Root has had a forgettable tour of India so far. In three Tests, he has registered a highest score of 29. The right-handed batter was dismissed for 18 in the first innings of the Rajkot Test, caught at second slip off Jasprit Bumrah as he attempted a reverse scoop. The former England captain’s dismissal triggered a batting collapse as the visitors lost eight wickets for 95 runs.
Following England’s 434-run defeat in Rajkot, Stokes defended Root amid growing criticism over his choice of strokes not just in Rajkot, but in the series against India overall.
"Yeah, because [Root] he got out to it [reverse scoop], it definitely was a turning point,” Stokes was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
"Joe Root's scored nearly 12,000 runs, I think we can leave the decision-making and 'why' with Joe. I can understand why there would be frustration around that because of how good a player Joe is," the England captain added.
On Root’s failed attempt to take on Bumrah in the first innings in Rajkot, Stokes said that it was done to try to make the opposition think and force them to change their plans.
"Jasprit Bumrah has got him out a couple of times this tour early on. And I thought Joe was looking really, really good at the crease, and he sensed that as a time to put something different back onto Jasprit and make him maybe think about something. Because what that shot does for Joe is it makes fields change, makes bowlers' mindset change towards him,” Stokes explained.
“He got out to it, and it's not a shot you necessarily see Test match players playing. But look, who am I to question a guy who has 30 Test match hundreds, nearly 12,000 Test match runs? I think he knows what he's doing," he added in defense of the seasoned batter.
Root was dismissed for 29 & 2 in the first Test in Hyderabad. He scored 5 & 16 in Visakhapatnam and 18 & 7 in Rajkot.
“He loves having the responsibility of bowling and influencing the game” - Stokes on Root
While Root has failed to contribute with the bat, he has done a reasonable job with the ball in hand, claiming a few crucial wickets at key moments.
According to Stokes, the 33-year-old under-bowled himself when he was captain. He also dismissed the theory that bowling is affecting Root’s batting.
"You ask Joe that and he would say 'absolutely not'. He loves having the responsibility of bowling and influencing the game. He's influenced so many Test matches with the bat and I always thought he under-bowled himself as a captain, I think he's a lot better than what he gives himself credit for. But by no means do I think him bowling more overs is the reason as to why he's not getting the runs he would like to. You would never hear him say that either," Stokes concluded.
Root has bowled 107 overs in the Test series so far and has claimed seven wickets, including a four-fer in Hyderabad.