Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has applauded Joe Root for his very ‘un-BazBall’ but very effective 106-run knock-off 226 balls in the ongoing Ranchi Test against India as well. Under pressure after failing to score well in the first three Tests, Root led England’s comeback from a score of 112/5 at lunch. He added together an unbeaten session-long partnership with Ben Foakes and then batted with the tail to push the score to 302/7 at stumps at the end of Day 1.

“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 said on TNT Sports.

However, many, including Alastair Cook, were critical of Joe Root after he got out playing lap shots a couple of times in the series. Many said England’s generally aggressive style of play doesn’t work for him. And, now, the ace batter is receiving praise for batting according to the situation.

“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,” Alastair Cook concluded.