Batting in itself is an art in cricket, and the batters are often seen taking an unorthodox route to achieve their desired result. Former England captain Joe Root happened to race to his 36th Test century in the Bazball fashion during the third day of the New Zealand versus England Test series.
Carrying a lead of 155 runs after bundling the Kiwis for 125 in their first innings, England got off to a steady start courtesy of their openers. Subsequently, Joe Root troubled the hosts’ bowlers with his orthodox stroke play and neared the century mark with the progression of play. However, the elegant batter took a fancy route to race to his 36th Test hundred and stand in a league of his own.
The first ball of the 83rd over saw Will O’Rourke bowl a good-length delivery at the stumps when Root was stranded at 98. The right-hander shuffled across the line and reverse-ramped on it, with the ball swirling over the wicketkeeper’s head towards the boundary ropes. Soon after, Root reached triple figures and brought up his 36th Test century. He also has the most centuries since 2021, 19 overall, and is in a league of his own.
Classy Root
