The very first ball of the opening Ashes Test in Edgbaston noticed English opener Zak Crawley blast a canopy drive to the boundary – a sign of intent, the ‘Bazball’ philosophy in full swing.
On the primary ball of the fourth day, Joe Root one-upped his teammate with a merely ridiculous alternative of shot.
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Facing Pat Cummins, Root – who began the day on zero – tried a reverse ramp, the wildly brave and brilliantly creative shot with which he twice cleared the ropes within the first innings.
This time, Cummins’ supply narrowly missed the sting of the bat. But the assertion was made.
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that in Test cricket,” England nice Kevin Pietersen mentioned in commentary.
The subsequent over, Root was again at it, ramping Boland straight behind the stumps for a six. The very subsequent ball he picked up a boundary with the identical shot.
It pressured Australia to instantly put a fielder on the boundary.
Former England spinner Phil Tufnell was awe-struck, saying on BBC’s dwell commentary: “What is he doing? Joe Root is the absolute glue which binds together England’s batting line-up and he attempts to reverse ramp him, first ball?! He’d have looked pretty silly if he had lost his middle pole. And he did it on nought! I think I’m getting too old for this game …”
When he floated Boland for consecutive boundaries with the identical shot, Tufnell mentioned: “First of all, what a shot. That’s twice he’s done it! Incredible … It never ceases to amaze me this style of cricket.”
Piers Morgan wrote: “Joe Root reverse ramping almost every ball he’s faced this morning is one of the most brilliantly insane things I’ve ever watched. God, I love Bazball.”
And former Australian participant and coach Justin Langer instructed The Telegraph: “The burning question leading into this series was whether England could apply Bazball theory against Australia’s world class attack.
“Under immense pressure this morning Joe Root, a truly great player, has led the way… Take a bow Joe Root.”
Former England star Michael Vaughan was equally impressed, telling The Telegraph: “As if this Test couldn’t get any more interesting, that was the most remarkable non-scoring shot you could imagine.”
Having began the day on no runs from eight deliveries, Root exploded out of the blocks – and just about blasted Boland out of the assault. The Aussie’s first three overs went for 31 runs.
Root racked up a 50-run partnership alongside Ollie Pope within the house of simply half an hour, earlier than Pat Cummins delivered a masterful inswinging yorker to clatter into Pope’s off stump and halt England’s rampage.
Soon after that, and even with third man again on the ropes, Root then tried the identical shot as soon as once more to Cummins – and once more missed.
“It’s incredible,” Ponting mentioned on Channel 9.
England added 93 runs for the lone wicket in 13.3 overs earlier than the primary drinks break of the day, at a staggering fee of 6.88 runs per over.
Originally printed as Cricket world surprised by ‘brilliantly insane’ first ball assault
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
