Aakash Chopra expressed discontent with Joe Root. He suggests Root carelessly lost his wicket during England’s second innings in India’s second test match.
After losing the first Test by 28 runs, India set England a goal of 399 runs in Visakhapatnam. Root (16 off 10) tried a nasty hoick that was caught by Axar Patel at backward point off Ravichandran Ashwin’s bowling as the hosts triumphed by 106 runs to level the five-match series.
In a video posted on his YouTube account, Chopra stated that Root and Ben Stokes aided India’s cause by effectively handing them their wickets. He elaborated:
“The English batters need to think about something. The shot Root played, if he hadn’t played that bad shot and Stokes hadn’t run like that, the runs would have been scored on the last day as well. It wasn’t easy to pick up 10 wickets here.”
Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra added:
“Thank you so much, England guys. You did our job or else we wouldn’t have been able to get them out that easily. I think Root is selling himself really short. Ben Stokes, firstly, bats too low in the order, which is counterproductive. Secondly, the way he ran, that was lazy in capital letters.”
Aakash Chopra
Stokes, who hit a 29-ball 11, answered somewhat late to Ben Foakes’ request for a single and practically ran to the other end. Shreyas Iyer’s straight shot from midwicket caught the England captain short of the crease at the striker’s end.
“All batters from Rohit to Iyer to Pope to Root to Bairstow proved to be a letdown” – Aakash Chopra
According to Aakash Chopra, the majority of batsmen on both sides struggled in the Visakhapatnam Test. He explains:
“All batters from Rohit to Iyer to Pope to Root to Bairstow proved to be a letdown. When the conditions are so good for batting, you assume that runs will be scored. It was a very good pitch to bat.”
Aakash Chopra
The reputable analyst went on to say that the batters should be blamed for their dismissals.
“Even on the fourth day, there were no such cracks and the dust was not flying when the ball was pitching. It wasn’t a rank turner. Everyone got themselves out while playing shots.”
Aakash Chopra
Chopra emphasized that the surface did not play any tricks, since almost everyone had a start and wickets did not fall in clumps. He felt that the batting was extremely average, with the exception of one or two quality deliveries from Jasprit Bumrah, and that wickets were lost owing to poor strokes.