Joe Root. (Photo Source: Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
When Brendon McCullum became England’s red-ball coach and started instilling the ultra-aggressive ‘Bazball’ ploy into the batters’ gameplay, cricket enthusiasts doubted if Joe Root would be able to fit the bill. The 32-year-old was not known for operating at high strike rates. Just a few years ago, he was also struggling to convert his fifties into hundreds. However, there was no doubting the right-hander’s quality.
The good players always find ways to adjust to different formats and different situations. Root has been no different. He has taken to ‘Bazball’ like fish to water. He has audaciously reverse-scooped pacers like Tim Southee, Pat Cummins, and Scott Boland for sixes. Root has also been able to convert his starts into three-figure scores. In the first Ashes Test, Root scored a fluent 152-ball 118 in the first innings, registering a 30th Test century. In the second innings, Root scored 46 off just 55 balls.
The former England captain thanked Nasser Hussain for offering him some useful advice that helped him convert his starts into big scores and manage his game in Test cricket.
“Nasser Hussain gave me some information about modes of dismissal in different periods of my innings and how to manage my game,” Root told the BBC. “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 occasions. He went out of his way to make an impact in my career and I was grateful, because it was a big help.”
Notably, Root had 53 half-centuries and 23 centuries prior to 2022. Since then, he has scored seven centuries and five half-centuries.
‘It was about going out there to have some peace and quiet, having some time to myself’ – Joe Root reveals how he recovered from a period of indifferent form
The job of a captain is a difficult one. The difficulty level might just go up by a few notches when one considers the job of England’s red-ball captain. One of the many reasons is the amount of emphasis English fans and the England Cricket Board (ECB) give red-ball cricket.
Root dealt with the pressure for five years as England’s red-ball skipper. During the tenure, he revealed that he wasn’t enjoying batting as much as he used to. However, he stated that shutting out the outside noise and focusing on the game alone helped him get back to his best.
“There were periods when I was captain, batting wasn’t necessarily fun; it was about going out there to have some peace and quiet, having some time to myself,” he added. “It was a time to shut off from the rest of the world, to just have me and the cricket ball. It worked.”
Root will have to play a crucial role as England seek to restore parity in the Ashes. The second Test at Lord’s begins on Wednesday.