Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has advised England’s Joe Root to abandon the Bazball batting technique, emphasizing Root’s exceptional record when playing in his usual style. After being dismissed while attempting a reverse-lap shot in the Rajkot Test, Root’s departure triggered a collapse for England, losing eight wickets for 95 runs and conceding a first-innings lead of 126 runs to India.

Ian Chappell, speaking to World Wide Sports, expressed his belief that premeditated shots are inappropriate in Test cricket, especially for a player like Root, who scores rapidly in his conventional approach.

“Root had a bloody fine record playing normally, and he was a quick scorer playing normally. I don’t see why he’s trying to change things drastically, and I’ve never believed you should play premeditated shots,” Ian Chappell stated.

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Despite the popular Bazball technique being implemented since Brendon McCullum took over as head coach in mid-2022, Root has averaged above 50, slightly higher than his overall average of 49.32.

However, his struggles in the ongoing series against India have been evident, accumulating only 77 runs at an average of less than 13 in six innings. England currently trails the five-match series 1-2 after consecutive losses in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot.

Ian Chappell endorsed the idea of top-order batters adopting an aggressive approach but stressed that it should align with playing conditions and the bowler in operation. While England has secured 14 victories in 21 Tests since adopting the Bazball strategy, they have also witnessed batting collapses due to questionable shot selection.

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“You can’t always do it – it’s got to be according to the conditions and also who’s bowling. Some bowlers you can score off a lot quicker than others, but when a really good bowler is bowling a good spell, you’ve got to be prepared to try and battle it out and think to yourself ‘Well, when he goes off, it’ll get a bit easier. You’re always trying to score runs – that’s got to be your prime aim. But, you’ve also got to realize some conditions, against some bowlers you can score quicker than others,” he added.