'Let the rest play Bazball' - AB de Villiers commends Joe Root's batting template on Day 1 of Ranchi Test

Joe Root's woeful form had been a huge cause of concern for England heading into the fourth Test in Ranchi, which began on Friday, February 23, with him scoring a paltry 77 runs in six innings. However, the experienced campaigner found his mojo today and helped his team get out of a precarious position.

Trailing the series 1-2, Ben Stokes won a crucial toss and opted to bat first at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday. He would've hoped for a solid start from his top-order but that wasn't to be. Debutant Akash Deep bowled exceptionally well and dismissed Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope inside the first hour before spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja accounted for the wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes, respectively. Reeling at 112/5 at lunch, England needed their ex-captain to stand tall. Root did just that, as he stitched a priceless 113-run partnership off 261 deliveries with wicketkeeper-batter Ben Foakes, and also notched up his first fifty on the tour.

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England's Bazball approach had been severely lambasted after their shambolic 434-run drubbing in the third Test in Rajkot. Root had also got out playing some rash shots and was criticised by experts for his lack of application, along with not playing like his usual self. However, on Friday, he played with admirable composure and according to the situation's demand.

His sedate approach, which helped the tourists get out of a hole, earned rich praise and recognition from South African legend AB de Villiers. The former Proteas captain advised Root to stick to his own game and let others around him play Bazball cricket.

"This is the Joe Root mode that win you Test matches! Glue mode. Let the rest play Bazball. Good start from India. Good fight from Eng. Setting up for a good Test match," De Villiers wrote on his official 'X' handle.

Mohammed Siraj pegs England back after solid partnership

After giving Root excellent company, Foakes departed for 47 in the 68th over of the day as Mohammed Siraj got the better of him. The wicketkeeper-batter's aerial flick shot went straight to Jadeja at short midwicket. The Indian fans breathed a collective sigh of relief at the fall of Foakes' wicket, given that the partnership for the sixth wicket was looking ominous.

Tom Hartley, who has contributed some crucial runs with the bat in the series, came out to the crease at the fall of Foakes' wicket. However, he could only add 13 runs to the total as a peach of a delivery from Siraj which nipped away off the deck, squaring him into half, castling him all ends up in the process. From 225/5, England slipped to 245/7, and will have to fight hard to get to the 300-run mark, which would probably give them a psychological edge.

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