IND vs ENG 2024: Not sure if Joe Root needs to play Bazball, says Mitchell Johnson

Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson feels Joe Root doesn’t need to play Bazball to get the best out of himself. Before the start of the Ranchi Test, Root could only manage 77 runs in the first three Test matches at an average of 12.83 and thus he failed to deliver the goods for the visitors.

The veteran batter was dismissed while trying to play a big shot in the second innings at Vizag against Ravichandran Ashwin.

Similarly, Root was dismissed while trying to play a reverse scoop against Jasprit Bumrah in the first innings at Rajkot. Ergo, Root’s aggressive shot selection had come under scrutiny.

However, the veteran batter was able to prove his mettle as he scored an unbeaten knock of 122 in Ranchi. The visitors were 112-5 but Root batted at the top of his game to help his team get out of the hole. Root went on to score his 31st Test century and added crucial runs with the lower order.

Mitchell Johnson wrote in his column for Nightly, “Joe Root has been the talk of the cricket world with what would seem a reckless shot choice.”

“His captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have defended it — as you would expect. McCullum also defended the way Root has been going about it in this new regime.”

“Root is their Smith or Marnus Labuschagne. He is a more correct player. Someone who needs to get himself in, watch the ball and leave it when required,” said Johnson.

Johnson added that Root needs to find the right balance between aggression and defense. Root has scored almost 12000 Test runs and he is at his best when bats in an orthodox way.

“I said this during the Ashes series: It’s not a new thing to be aggressive as a batting unit. If England find the right balance of when to be aggressive and take on an attack and when to defend, they will be in a better place.”

“Again, it’s what I saw playing at first-class level and what I saw watching the Aussies in the 1990s and 2000s.”

“Joe Root has been one of the best for a very long time. I’m not sure he needs to play Bazball, especially when they have plenty of out-and-out attacking players in the team,” said Johnson.

The fifth and final Test match will be played at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala from March 7.