Joe Root has confirmed that he will definitely play the reverse-scoop shot again in the India vs England match

England batsman Joe Root has defended his reverse-scoop shot, saying it was not careless and that he would definitely use it again.

The shot has become a signature move for Root since he took over as captain. However, he received criticism for being dismissed while attempting it against Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test against India.

Root bounced back with a masterful 122 not out in the fourth Test in Ranchi.

England's freewheeling style under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum was brought into the spotlight following their 434-run defeat in the third Test in Rajkot.

At the heart of the discussion was Root, who is England's second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket.

Root highlighted England's improved results since handing the captaincy to Stokes in 2022.

During the final stretch of Root's tenure, England only managed to win once in 17 Tests, but under Stokes' leadership, they have yet to lose a Test series.

Root was clear when asked if he would try the reverse-scoop again, stating he will definitely attempt it again at some point:

"It's not just 'oh, I fancy it', a careless un-thought-out decision in a split second. You're looking at how it's going to really affect the scenario of the game. People will look at this dismissal and think it was arrogant or stupid, but I'm trying to play how I think is the best way to score runs against a very good team. I didn't execute it well enough on that occasion. That's how it goes sometimes. I could have dragged on trying to drive through extra cover and it wouldn't have been a media storm, would it?"

Root's century in Ranchi ended a run of six innings without reaching 50. It helped England come from behind to level the series at 2-2.

England was struggling at 112-5 during lunch on the first day, but Root's flawless innings helped them reach 353 all-out on the second morning. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir followed with figures of 4-84 as India were bowled out for 219-7 on Saturday.