Joe Root was England’s best bowler in the first innings of the current Test series opener against India at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
England were knocked out for 246 after deciding to bat first on the surface. In response, India scored an astounding 436 runs before being bowled out on Day 3 (Saturday).
Despite having three frontline spin bowling options in their starting XI, Root’s part-time off-spin proved the most lethal. He concluded with four wickets, including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, KS Bharat, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Several fans turned to social media to comment on Root’s excellent bowling performance. Here are some of the leading reactions:
On Day 2, India concluded with 421/7 at stumps. Root helped England get off to a great start on the third day by removing Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah with consecutive deliveries.
The Men in Blue took a significant first-inning lead of 190. Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were the best performers with the bat, scoring 87, 86, and 80 runs, respectively.
England’s spin-bowling coach praises Joe Root’s ability to create chances
Jeetan Patel, England’s spin-bowling coach, praised Root for his bowling performance in the first Test of the present five-match series against India.
Patel pointed out that Joe Root continues to bowl attacking lines after getting hammered for boundaries. During the post-day news conference following Day 2, he stated:
“The beauty of having Joe Root is that he knows how to create opportunities. That is one thing Joe has — an ability to think ‘How will I take a wicket? How will I change a game?”
“I think today we saw the typical Joe Root, he creates opportunities.Yes, he’s going to be hit for boundaries but that’s how Joe Root bowls. He bowls attacking deliveries, he asks attacking questions. He was fantastic, I thought.”
Jeetan Patel
In the first innings, Root didn’t make a strong impression as a batter. Although he began fairly well, he didn’t succeed in sustaining it. Ravindra Jadeja bowling ended his run after he managed just 29 runs, attempting a sweep shot.