Ravi Shastri takes a cheeky dig at Joe Root for his poor batting display, saying, “More than the runs he scored.”

In Rajkot, the third Test of the current five-match series pitted Team India against England. Both teams have everything to play for in the next few games since the series is tied, and even though both sides are playing well, the exploits of ace England batter Joe Root have gone unnoticed.

Throughout the current series, the 33-year-old has not been at his best, and the Rajkot Test was no exception. Root has only scored 70 runs in five innings, with his highest scoring total for the series being 29 runs.

On the third day of the third Test, Root tried to play a reverse scoop to Jasprit Bumrah but was caught in slips by the fielder, adding insult to injury.

Taking seven wickets in the series so far, Root has proven to be an even more potent weapon for England with the ball than he has been at the bat. Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri brought up the same topic during his commentary, making a lighthearted jab at Root.

Ravi Shastri stated on air that Joe Root has bowled 89 overs in this Test series, which is more than the runs he has scored.

Things worked out well for us: Siraj

In the cricket community, Root’s scoop shot has generated a lot of debate. One news article called the shot “the stupidest in English test history.” Prominent Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj also spoke up to share his thoughts on the matter.

Saying that things would have been more difficult for the hosts if Root and Ben Duckett had stayed together. But the 33-year-old’s ability to make shots made things simpler.

We would have had a harder time winning if Ben Duckett had played a little bit more. His combination with Root was getting stronger. NDTV cited Siraj as stating, “But all of a sudden he played that shot, which didn’t look (like one) to be played.”

“But it turned out good for us and after that, Ben  Foakes and Ben Stokes had a good partnership, and then Stokes played a shot (which got him out) and we got into the game from there,” he continued.