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'Rohit Sharma Like…' - Alastair Cook Likens Joe Root To Indian Captain Post Ranchi Century

image-lszqf2u3Joe Root smashed a fantastic ton in Ranchi (AP Photo)

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook lauded talismanic batter Joe Root, saying that the batting maestro reverted to his fundamental techniques to resume his run-scoring spree. In praising Root, Cook also drew a comparison with Indian captain Rohit Sharma.

England faced a precarious situation at 112-5 as debutant Akash Deep, aged 27, wreaked havoc with the ball, claiming the first three wickets in a superb opening spell, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja adding to the pressure. 

However, Root, receiving crucial support first from Ben Foakes and later from Ollie Robinson, orchestrated a recovery, guiding England to 353 all-out.

Root’s century was overdue given the series of low scores he had accumulated in the India Test series. England’s number four compiled an unbeaten 121 in the fourth Test, elevating England from a precarious 112/5 to a comfortable 353/10 in Ranchi.

Speaking in the TNT Sports studio, Cook praised Root’s innings, likening his elegant and controlled style to that of the current Indian skipper.

"When you see someone go through a little trouble, it’s always great to see them out the other end. When great players don’t score runs it’s only a matter of time until they do. What Joe Root did today was go back to basics. This is a clip of someone with the shots you’d expect Joe Root to play. All the talk about the reverse scoop being unusual, this is a very typical Joe inning. Slightly slower than normal but the tempo and his rhythm of batting is what makes him stand out. When he’s in fine flow he’s got such a nice easy way about him, Rohit [Sharma]- like,”  Sir Alastair Cook said after the end of Day 1.

Root faced heavy criticism for falling to a reverse scoop against Jasprit Bumrah in the first innings of the third Test, which triggered a batting collapse for England. Even in the second innings, he couldn't do much as his team fell short of the target. 

However, on the opening day, he eschewed the swashbuckling ‘Bazball’ approach in favor of a more measured, controlled innings, smashing his 31st Test ton. 

It marked Root’s 10th Test century against India, the most by a batter in the five-day format. He now boasts 13 centuries against India across formats, trailing only Australia’s Steve Smith and Ricky Ponting. Root's stellar knock earned acclaim from across the globe.