Former India cricketer and coach, Ravi Shastri had taken a sly dig at Joe Root while commentating during Day 3 of the third Test between India and England at Rajkot.
Root has not had the best of performances in the ongoing series and is yet to put in a decent knock for the side. His contributions for England have mostly been with the ball where the spinner has taken seven wickets in the series.
While bowling in the second innings, the former Indian cricketer, who was on commentating duties, had pointed out that he had more overs bowled than runs scored.
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“Joe Root has bowled 89 overs in this Test series, which is more than the runs he scored,” Shastri cheekily said.
The batter from Sheffield has been regarded among the best Test batters of the current generation, being compared to the likes of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Steve Smith.
The 33-year-old has only scored 70 runs in five innings, with his best score being 29. He had also given away his wicket on Day 3 where he looked to play the reverse-scoop to Jasprit Bumrah but ended up being caught by the fielder at slips.
Unfamiliar conditions do not seem to be the reason for his poor form as the batter was able to rack up a big score of 218 which had come in Chennai in 2021. He also has over 1000 runs in Indian conditions as well.
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While England seems to have had a resurgence, especially in the Test format with Ben Stokes leading the side, Joe Root on the other hand is yet to showcase his best form in the series.
Despite the hype regarding ‘Bazball’ around the England camp, it seems that Root has been affected by playing unnecessary shots to give away his wicket. While the reasons remain unclear for his decline in performance, England will be hoping to see Root back at his best. The touring side will be expected to chase down a big score with India’s lead already going past 300 with more batting yet to come.
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