England batter Joe Root says his reverse-scoop shot is not “careless” and he will “100%” play it again.
The shot has become a Root trademark since Ben Stokes took over as captain, but he was criticised for being dismissed playing it to Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test against India.
Root responded with a masterful 122 not out in the fourth Test in Ranchi.
“As an experienced player, the amount of cricket I’ve played, you trust your instincts in the moment,” said Root.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he added: “The reason that I’ve been able to play as many games as I have and been fortunate to play as many games as I have is because under pressure, a lot of times I’ve managed to make those right decisions.”
The manner of England’s 434-run defeat in the third Test in Rajkot brought their freewheeling style under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum into the spotlight.
At the centre of the debate was Root, England’s second-highest Test run-scorer of all time.
“‘Bazball’ is a media frenzy that is for them,” said the 33-year-old. “I think there’s a common misconception about how we go about things.
“At times it is misconstrued and has been seen to be an arrogant way to look at the game. That is not how we want to do things. We want to be smart and we want to keep looking at how far we can take the ability within our dressing room.”
Root pointed to England’s upturn in results since he handed the captaincy to Stokes in 2022.
England won only once in 17 Tests in the final spell of Root’s reign, but are so far yet to lose a Test series under Stokes.
“Look at our top order two years ago,” said the Yorkshire batter. “Look at the amount of times we were 20-2. Look at how frequently we’re now 50 or more for none.
“It has 100% been a mindset shift that has got the best out of players that have been in and around this team for more than the time Baz and Stokesy have been involved as coach and captain.”
And Root was unequivocal when asked if he will attempt the reverse-scoop again, saying: “100% at some point.
“It’s not just ‘oh, I fancy it’, a careless un-thought-out decision in a split second. You’re looking at how it’s going to really affect the scenario of the game.
“People will look at this dismissal and think it was arrogant or stupid, but I’m trying to play how I think is the best way to score runs against a very good team.
“I didn’t execute it well enough on that occasion. That’s how it goes sometimes. I could have dragged on trying to drive through extra cover and it wouldn’t have been a media storm, would it?”
Root’s century in Ranchi ended his run of six innings without passing 50 and guided England from a perilous position to one where they have the opportunity to level the series at 2-2.
England were 112-5 at lunch on the first day, only for Root’s flawless innings to take them to 353 all out on the second morning. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir followed up with 4-84 to leave India 219-7 at the close on Saturday.
“It was nice to finally contribute with the bat,” said Root. “It’s been a lean few games for me and very frustrating. I do like coming to this part of the world and I feel my game is set up nicely to play well here.
“It was good to spend some time out there, build some good partnerships and get what feels like a very good first-innings score on that wicket.”
And Root admitted he considered trying to reach three figures by playing the reverse-scoop.
“It was a fleeting and selfish thought that left my mind very quickly,” he said. “On that wicket, it wasn’t a great option. You don’t mess with the game, you just try and play what you honestly think is the best way to score runs.”
Root had praise for Bashir, the 20-year-old playing only his second Test, after he bowled an unbroken spell of 31 overs, the longest by an England bowler since 2013.
Bashir had played only six first-class matches for Somerset before being chosen for this tour and was even playing club cricket as recently as last summer.
“Imagine being 15 or 16 years old, a young spinner and hearing Bashir’s story,” said Root. “It just shows how close you can actually be, how you should keep dreaming and chasing it, keep giving yourself the best chance to work at your game because you never know where you could end up.
“He was brilliant. The way he bowls is a good indication of his character and personality. He’s cheeky, he’s funny, a great lad to have around the dressing room and I really enjoy his company. It’s really nice to see him come in and do so well.”
