Vaibhav Tripathi
According to England batter Joe Root, the reverse scoop he played against Australia in the Edgbaston Test was not exactly about making a statement to Australia. It was a statement to the spectators that England intends to play with such aggression in Test matches.
Root’s remarkable innings of 118 not out in the first innings at Edgbaston, followed by a bold 46 in the second innings, showcased his aggressive mindset. One notable aspect of his batting was his audacious attempt to play a reverse scoop on the first ball of the fourth day. He continued to play the reverse scoop against the likes of Cummins and Scott Boland.
“It wasn’t necessarily about making a statement to Australia, it was more about making a statement to everyone in the ground about how we want to go about things,” Root told BBC Sport.