Hyderabad: Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell has dismissed the scenario of English batter Joe Root adopting 'Bazball' batting style as he already has an outstanding record while playing his own way.
The 33-year old lost his wicket while attempting a reverse scoop while facing Jasprit Bumrah at a most crucial juncture in the first innings of the third Test against India. His wicket at 224/2 triggered England's collapse as the team lost their remainder of wickets for just 95 runs. They were bowled out for 319 as a result and were trailing by 126 runs.
His dismissal sparked a discussion around Root trying to go aggressive to suit the batting style adopted by the English team and failing to do so as a result of drifting away from his natural game to build the innings steadily. Reflecting on all the chatter in the cricket fraternity, former Australian captain Ian Chappell denied such possibility and said that Root was doing fine while playing in his own way.
"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," said Chappell while speaking to World Wide of Sports.
Contrary to common belief that Root's attempt to match England's aggressive batting template is having a negative impact on his performance, England's ace batter averages over 50, since Brendon McCullum took charge of the side as head coach.
England have tasted immense success, thanks to their style of play, winning 14 matches out of 21 Tests. Chappell has a different perspective about England's style of play, saying that it is not always wise to play in an attacking manner.
"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," he said adding, '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.
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