Root stuck by LBW, his Achilles' heel this summer

Joe Root once again fell to an lbw dismissal in the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s, bringing his total to seven such dismissals this summer. The England captain reached this figure after two more innings, taking his tally to nine lbw dismissals in twelve innings since the start of the summer.

A phenomenon beyond mere coincidence

The debate gained momentum on the third day of the Test, disrupted by rain, where Root was dismissed lbw twice in succession after failing in his DRS reviews. Michael Atherton, Sky Sports Cricket analyst, highlights the significance of this trend: “It’s fascinating to see that even a player with over 160 Tests to his name, averaging more than 50, one of England’s greatest-ever batsmen, continues to be scrutinized for this developing trend.” According to the former international, the evolution of bowling techniques largely explains the increase in lbw dismissals. “When we started playing, far more bowlers aimed to make the ball deviate and challenge the batter on the outside edge. We were taught that Test cricket was about the stumps or the corridor, and the best bowlers made the ball move away from the batter.”

The wobble seam and the temptation of the straight line

Atherton points to the rise of the wobble seam, a technique that allows bowlers to make the ball deviate before bringing it back towards the batter. “What we’ve seen in England in recent years is an increase in wobble seam deliveries, designed to bring the ball back into the batter. The number of lbw and bowled dismissals this summer is high, and that’s how teams are trying to exploit this weakness in Root’s game. They’re looking to target this flaw.” Nasser Hussain, another England cricket legend, concurs: “As soon as you see the ball moving away from you, you naturally tend to cover the outside edge. Root moves his front foot forward with the pad, because he’s worried the ball might get away from him. And that’s where the wobble seam comes in: the ball comes back towards him after appearing to go away! You have to cover four and a quarter inches for a ball that goes out and then comes back.”

Playing conditions that amplify the problem

Lord’s pitch, renowned for its low bounce, adds another layer to this dilemma. “A big part of the problem is the low bounce, especially on this surface, which brings the stumps and lbw back into play,” Hussain explains. “Bowlers maintain a consistent length because they know they’ll hit the stumps.” Root, typically celebrated for his straight bat and linear technique, is forced to play away to cover the off-side, leaving him exposed to lbw. “If Root thinks, *I’ll take lbw out of the equation and open up more*, he becomes more vulnerable to the edge,” Atherton notes. “That’s what makes this game so fascinating.” Observers have also praised the quality of modern attacks, which blend outswing and wobble seam to trap batters. A winning strategy, but one that leaves Root caught between two risks. Joe Root, one of England’s key players, will need to find a solution before the next series to break out of this stalemate.