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The defending champions, England, faced a resounding 100-run defeat in their recent clash of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against hosts India on Sunday. In a high-octane encounter, the Indian bowling attack completely outplayed the Jos-Buttler-led side’s star-studded batting lineup.
England’s performance in their title defence campaign have been far from impressive, as they’ve now encountered a string of four consecutive losses. Their struggles are evident as they find themselves at the bottom of the points table, with only one win out of six matches played in the prestigious ICC tournament.
In the aftermath of England’s demoralizing defeat to India on October 29, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has subjected star English batter Joe Root‘s recent performance and his contribution to his team’s cause to a critical examination.
It’s worth highlighting that despite his commendable performances in the initial two matches, Root has struggled to make a significant impact. The right-handed batter has managed to accumulate a total of 175 runs for England in six matches during the marquee event.
Gautam Gambhir’s critical remarks on Joe Root
Gambhir publicly expressed his disappointment with Root’s recent showings in the ongoing tournament. The former Indian opener shed light on England’s consistent batting struggles whenever Root failed to make an impact, underscoring the team’s heavy reliance on the 32-year-old’s performance within the batting lineup.
“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 on Star Sports.
Also READ: CWC 2023 – Virat Kohli, Joe Root create an unwanted World Cup record with ducks during IND vs ENG clash
The ‘anchor’ role
Furthermore, Gambhir offered his perspective that Root should adopt the role of an anchor within the team, granting other players the liberty to express themselves and play according to their preferred styles.
“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,” the 42-year-old added.
