'I'm just trying to find out what my role is' - Joe Root says on adjusting to Bazball


image-lecn9gxpJoe Root in action (Source: Twitter/@Cricket_TS)

England's meteoric rise in Test cricket has run inversely to Joe Root's form as he is finding it tough to modify his batting style on the lines of Bazball.

Root visibly has become a prisoner of Bazball's greatness as his last two Test innings saw him getting dismissed while playing reverse-sweeps.

Due to England's struggles in red-ball cricket under the captaincy of Root, he was replaced by Ben Stokes. The former's purple patch had him ruling the Test arena as he scored 11 centuries in 2021-22, three under Stokes' captaincy but as Bazball took over, the batter lost his original flavour and eventually floundered in the process.

However, as per the 32-year-old, his 62-ball 57 versus New Zealand in the second innings of the first match has given him a "kick up the backside" as he is still on the path of regaining his old touch.

"I've not performed for a little while, so I had the bit between my teeth in the second innings. It's given me a little sharpener, a kick up the backside, that this is how I need to play my cricket, how I can be consistently useful in this group.

"There was the initial relief of coming out of the captaincy and now I'm just trying to find out what my role is within this team. I've maybe got a bit caught up in it, but I'm not too far away from what's given me success. I didn't feel I tried to force it in the second innings and when I'm playing well that's one of my strengths: I can score freely and I can rotate the strike.

"You take calculated risks. I've got where I've got to by trusting my gut. It just didn't quite work out. It's not going to stop me playing it. It's now part of my Test game and I'll continue to utilise it when it's the right time."

England have 1-0 lead in the two-match series and will face-off New Zealand in the second Test from February 24 at Basin Reserve, Wellington.