Gautam Gambhir expressed disappointment with Joe Root’s underwhelming ODI World Cup 2023 performance, emphasizing that England’s batting lineup heavily relies on Root.
Renowned Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir expressed his disappointment with England’s star player, Joe Root, regarding his performance in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. Gambhir pointed out that England’s batting lineup has encountered significant challenges whenever Root has struggled, emphasizing that the entire team’s strategy seems to revolve around him. This critique followed England’s substantial 100-run loss to host nation India in Lucknow.
Unfortunately, Root’s recent performance has not lived up to these expectations, as he was even dismissed for a golden duck against India in Lucknow.
“If you see England’s batting lineup, apart from Joe Root, all the other guys want to play aggressive cricket. It is the form of Joe Root that has been the most damaging thing for this batting lineup because this entire batting lineup revolves around him,” Gambhir said when speaking to Star Sports.
“He was that anchor and glue who could bat from one end and the rest of the guys could actually play the way they wanted to. The moment Root hasn’t delivered, everyone gets exposed. Not a lot of guys have that ability to absorb the pressure of playing against the seaming and swinging balls,” he added.
Joe Root had a strong start in the ongoing tournament, with half-centuries against New Zealand and Bangladesh. However, his batting performance declined, amassing 175 runs from six games at an average of 29.16 and a strike rate of 93.08.
England’s ODI World Cup campaign has been disappointing, sitting at the bottom of the points table with two points and a net run rate of -1.652. Their next match is against Australia, led by Jos Buttler, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 4.
Last Updated on October 30, 2023
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