Former Indian cricketer, Gautam Gambhir, has expressed that England’s chances in the 2023 World Cup have been hindered by Joe Root’s inconsistent form. The defending champions have had a terrible run in the tournament so far and are in danger of being eliminated early.
Joe Root began his campaign with fifties against New Zealand and Bangladesh but has been struggling since then. In the game against India was dismissed in the fifth over for a golden duck of England’s run chase by Jasprit Bumrah’s pitched-up delivery that kept low and trapped him in front of the stumps due to a lack of bounce.
Speaking on Star Sports, Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has expressed concern over Joe Root’s performance as the anchor of England’s batting lineup in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 in India and believes that Root’s form has been below par, and with the batting lineup revolving around him, it is imperative for him to perform well.
“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.
Gambhir has pointed out that there are not many batters in England’s lineup who can absorb the pressure in the seam and swinging conditions, which makes Root’s performance all the more crucial.
“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,” Gautam Gambhir added.
Joe Root has only managed to score 175 runs in six matches, with an average of 29.16, which is not up to his usual standards. In England’s recent match against India, Root was dismissed for a golden duck, which contributed to their 100-run loss.
England has only secured two points after six matches, with three games remaining against Pakistan, Australia, and the Netherlands. Even if they win all three matches, they will still need a lot of results to go their way to qualify for the semifinals.
