“I don’t like that,Let Root bat long” – AB de Villiers doesn’t want Joe Root to play with Bazball approach.
South African cricket icon AB de Villiers has offered insights into the batting struggles of England’s Joe Root during the ongoing Test series against India.
De Villiers suggests that Root may have strayed from his natural game due to the team’s ‘Bazball’ approach
Root’s recent form, with just 77 runs in six innings, has come under scrutiny, particularly his dismissal to a reverse-sweep off Jasprit Bumrah
De Villiers, speaking on his YouTube channel, highlights the impact of Bumrah’s dominance over Root, having dismissed him nine times in Test cricket.
With Bumrah rested for the upcoming Ranchi Test, De Villiers sees it as a significant opportunity for Root to rediscover his form and provide relief for the struggling English side.
De villers said “When I played against him (Root), I felt he was one of the best Test batters I have ever played against. But that has changed and it’s because of Bazball. I know it’s a big statement but the ones that you find hardest to play against in Test match cricket are the ones who are hardest to get out. And now he is getting out on reverse sweeps and kind of blowing out of his norm. I don’t like that.”
“Players like these (Root) should be told , ‘Listen, you just go out and play your natural game. You’re the glue of this batting line-up.’ Let Ben Duckett or Ben Stokes play aggressively. Let Root bat long.”