PremiumIND vs ENG - Joe Root gets his 50, AB de Villiers call his game style 'glue mode' while others play 'Bazz Ball'
After Joe Root got his half-century - the first in the series against India - he did not raise his bat or celebrate out loud.
Last Updated: 01.50 PM, Feb 23, 2024
After an almost dry spell in the three-Test games played against India with the bat, England's Joe Root has finally found form as he gets his 50 in the 4th Test at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. While all are praising the batter for making a comeback, former South African player AB de Villiers has called his style of play 'glue mode' amid the whole Bazball gameplay adopted by the English side.
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After Root got his half-century - the first in the series - he did not raise his bat or celebrate out loud. He just raised his hand to acknowledge the crowd's applause. With no Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI, Root did not try any fancy reverse scoops and finally got a fifty to his name. This is only his second 50+ score in the last 19 innings in Asia. This is his 20th 50+ score in Tests against India - joint most alongside Ricky Ponting.
Seeing his form of play even got de Villiers to praise him, and on X (formerly known as Twitter) wrote, "This is the Joe Root mode that wins you Test matches! Glue mode. Let the rest play Bazz Ball. Good start from India. Good fight from Eng. Setting up for a good Test match".
The clash saw India put on a fantastic show in the first half on Day 1 of the 4th Test as they dismissed five wickets, courtesy of debutant Akash Deep taking three wickets. Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin took one wicket each.
As of writing this article, in 51 overs, the Three Lions have scored 178 runs and are making a steady comeback. Root is joined by Ben Foakes who has also scored 25 runs as of now.
Teams:
India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes(c), Ben Foakes(w), Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson