(Reuters) – Joe Root is flourishing underneath new England captain Ben Stokes’ aggressive method to the sport however whereas he’s pleased to rack up the runs and play like a “rock star”, he says there are occasions when his inside voice is urging a bit extra warning.
Former skipper Root and Jonny Bairstow smashed unbeaten centuries towards India to chase down 378 and win the fifth take a look at by seven wickets on Tuesday.
That series-levelling victory was England’s highest profitable run-chase and one other instance of the swashbuckling model of play that has turn into the hallmark of England’s new period underneath Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.
“Ben has needed us to be entertainers. He talked about making an attempt to be rock stars on the sphere,” Root mentioned. “It’s about making an attempt to have enjoyable and relish each alternative you get to showcase what you are about and placed on a present for everybody.
“I do not suppose I’ll ever have the ability to really feel or seem like a rock star, however for 10 seconds I might need completed in the present day.”
After ending on an unbeaten 142, Root raised his hand and wiggled his little finger in a reference to a scene from the latest Elvis Presley biopic.
“Ben watched the Elvis movie the opposite day and he is been doing that every one week. It was a little tribute to him,” Root added.
England have hit all the appropriate notes for the reason that appointment of Stokes and McCullum, clinching their fourth win from 4 matches following the 3-0 whitewash of world take a look at champions New Zealand.
That adopted a run of only one win in 17 exams with Root on the helm.
Root, who performed a reverse-scoop for six off India’s Shardul Thakur, mentioned he was nonetheless making an attempt to strike a balance between his orthodox model and the brand new attacking method.
“The Yorkshireman inside me remains to be saying, ‘Dig in, play straight and get behind it,'” Root mentioned. “Then there’s the captain on my shoulder saying, ‘Be a rock star’.
“So you are preventing between the 2 of them, generally.”
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad;Editing by Peter Rutherford)
