Former England team skipper Alastair Cook lauded Joe Root after latter scored a gritty century to rescue England on Day 1 of the IND vs ENG 4th Test in Ranchi on Friday (February 23).
England were reeling at 112/5 at lunch but Root’s patient knock bought England back in the game as the visitors finish 302/7 at stumps on a tricky Ranchi pitch.
Alastair Cook called Joe Root’s innings a ‘masterclass’ and claimed that it was an ‘Un-bazball but effective’ innings from the former English skipper.
“We were witnessing a kind of masterclass 100 from Joe Root…I know how much it means to him and how much it affects him when he’s not contributing. The stuff which is being spoken about him and some of the shots he’s played would really hurt him…He has scored so many runs, he is England’s best ever player and it hurts when you don’t contribute, when you think you should be doing”, Cook told TNT Sports.
Notably, Root was struggling with his form in the series. The veteran batter managed just 77 runs in his last six innings before the Ranchi knock. His shot selection in the past three Tests led to a lot of criticism.
“Root has played beautifully today. It has been a very different Root to what we have seen in the series, one who has been playing with control…It has been very un-Bazball, for those who like the entertainment, but very effective”, Cook added.
