'Bowler' Root can cause more damage to India

Virat Kohli has more reasons to worry than just James Anderson. Nope, it’s not Stuart Broad or Chris Woakes. Does that mean England have unearthed a fresh new talent who can make Kohli revisit the horrors of 2014? Negative again. The worrisome factor, in fact, lies with England captain Joe Root.

Virat Kohli has more reasons to worry than just James Anderson. Nope, it’s not Stuart Broad or Chris Woakes. Does that mean England have unearthed a fresh new talent who can make Kohli revisit the horrors of 2014? Negative again. The worrisome factor, in fact, lies with England captain Joe Root.

While Root certainly will be the centre of discussion when Ashwin and Co. do some brainstorming ahead of the five-match Test series but chances are that he might pose some questions in front of the Indian batsmen too.  

Root has done himself a favour by finding an effective solution of not having a quality spinner in his squad. If his bowling figures of 4 for 5 including 5 maidens in a County Championship match are anything to go by then England can perhaps throw an all-seam bowling attack with Root filling up as an off-spinner in the first Test at Edgbaston.

Turning up for Yorkshire, Root might have failed to spend considerable time in the middle with the bat, scoring only 22 and 3 but his bowling has brought broad smiles in the English camp. With his more than useful off-spin bowling, Root accounted for Buttler, Clarke, Onions and Parkinson in his 7.4 overs in the second innings as his side Yorkshire beat Lancashire by 118 runs.

Incredible bowling figures for @root66: 4️⃣ wickets for 5️⃣ runs!@YorkshireCCC win a thrilling Roses match by 118 runs

Videos & scorecards: https://t.co/t3dIeoj0Db pic.twitter.com/yp80NRhLoF

— County Championship (@CountyChamp) July 24, 2018

India won’t have to look too far behind to take Root’s off-spin threats seriously. In their last tour, a then part-timer Moeen Ali returned with 19 wickets in four Tests – the most any opposition spinner has taken against India outside India – that turned out to be a deciding factor.

Moeen, however, lost his place in the Test side recently against Pakistan after failing to provide regular breakthroughs but situations indicate that Root can be a like for like replacement of the all-rounder.

India’s dubious record against off-spinners is another factor that might force Root to try himself out in the Test series. The Indian middle order’s inability to dictate terms against England’s spin duo of Moeen Ali and Adil Rasheed was evident even in the ODI series, albeit in different pitch conditions.

In all probability, Dom Bess will be England’s specialist spinner for the first couple of Test matches against India but going by Root’s form with the ball, England for sure will be tempted to leave a tinge of grass at Edgbaston and test India with a pace barrage, occasionally throwing in Root’s off-spin.  

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