England’s Bazball approach came under severe criticism after a crushing 434-run defeat in the Rajkot Test.
England’s ultra-aggressive tactics came under severe criticism after the team suffered a humiliating 434-run defeat at the hands of India in the third Test at Rajkot.
In particular, Root had received the flak for his ugly dismissal in England’s first innings. He was out on 18 while attempting a reverse ramp shot against India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
"There have been times recently when the best way to do that is by being a bit more aggressive. It's like if I connect with that shot and execute it better, (Jasprit) Bumrah will be under pressure and our outlook on the game is very different again.
"It's not about being arrogant... Bazball is a word that's used a lot but that's your word, that's not how we look at it," Root told reporters after the end of second day's play in the fourth Test in Ranchi
"It's about how we can get the best out of each other as a team, how we're going to get better as a group. You're not always going to get it right but we'll continue to keep trying to improve."
Root highlighted the importance of adaptation and evolution as a batter to combat the skills of world-class bowlers.
"The reason I've played as many games as I have is that I've not wanted to stand still as a player, I have to try to keep evolving. If you keep on playing the same way over and over again, teams work you out, figure you out and find your weaknesses.
"They are world-class bowlers for a reason and there's a lot of information out there. So if you don't try to get better and find different ways of scoring runs, you'll get found out.
"You're not always going to get it right but if you're not willing to make mistakes every now and then and sometimes get it wrong it doesn't matter anyway because they're still going to find you out."
Joe Root responded to criticism with a fine knock of 122 not out from 274 balls in the Ranchi Test. Thanks to his classical Test match innings, the Three Lions recovered from 112/5 to post 353 in their first innings.
"It felt like it's been a long time coming, it's been a lean series individually for me. You pride yourself as a senior player, especially with the history I've had in this part of the world, to try and make contributions that put you in positions to win games.
"It's been disappointing but the fact I have got quite a lot of experience has been able to keep me calm and trust the stuff I am doing. The way I'm preparing meant it was going to come at some point. It was nice to do it yesterday when we were in the situation we were in at lunchtime."
Riding on off-spinner Shoaib Bashir’s four-wicket haul (4/84), England reduced India to 219/7 on Day 2 of the fourth Test in Ranchi. The hosts are trailing in the first innings by 134 runs with Dhruv Jurel (30*) and Kuldeep Yadav (17*) unbeaten in the middle.
Lauding Bashir, Root said: "The way he bowls is a great little insight into his character and personality, he is quite cheeky and great fun to be around.”
"There's clearly a huge amount of skill in what he does, as he proved with the way he bowled for not just small spells but for a long period of time," he added.
"To be able to continually put pressure on some very good players of spin, I know the wicket was helpful at times, but he did an amazing job and it's a great sign for English cricket moving forward. You do have to work in partnerships and Tommy (Hartley) was excellent alongside him, too," he further remarked.
Joe Root is confident that England have the edge in the match after the close of play on Day 2 in Ranchi.
"We've got ourselves into a nice position at the end of the first innings. Obviously, it looks like it (pitch) is going to keep deteriorating and keep getting worse.
"So if we can get three early wickets tomorrow, hopefully that puts us in a really strong position for the rest of the game," he concluded.
(With PTI inputs)