Joe Root is England's most complete batsman ever, says Eoin Morgan
Saturday 19 March 2016 14:55, UK
Eoin Morgan says Joe Root is "the most complete batsman" that England has ever produced.
Root hit 83 off 44 balls to help England successfully complete the second-highest run chase in T20 history against South Africa in Mumbai on Friday.
The Proteas looked set for victory in their first match at this year's ICC World T20 after setting England a mammoth total of 229-4 off their twenty overs, but Root's impressive half century helped guide his side to an unlikely victory with just two balls remaining.
The 25 year-old has already scored 131 runs at this year's tournament and Morgan believes his team-mate is the best in England's history.
"He is the most complete batsman we've ever had," said the England captain. "It says a lot, considering the players we've had in the past, and players I've played with. His innings was class, absolute class.
"It was so substantial, very special. It was the best chase I've been involved with in an England shirt - or in any shirt.
"It is a monumental innings, given the experience he showed, with a young head on his shoulders but still to come out with an incredible amount of humility. It goes a very long way in our changing room."
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Root has proven himself to be England's most consistent batsman across all three formats of the game having already scored nine Test centuries, eight ODI hundreds and three T20 half-centuries just four years after making his England debut.
"Four years ago, he made his (T20) debut at this ground in Mumbai at No 7, didn't get a bat as we chased down 177," Morgan added. "The turnaround in the player from then to now is quite phenomenal.
"Other players might be quite one-dimensional in looking to get off strike or get a four, he's looking to diffuse it with any scoring option at all. And it seems to be always low-risk. He does hit sixes, he does hit fours, but it never seems to be a big issue.
"It gives a huge amount of confidence to us knowing that he can go out and play the way he does without changing his game a great deal.
"It shows his class and composure, as if it was a 50-over game or a Test match."
England's victory on Friday moves them up to third in Group One behind the West Indies and Sri Lanka but Morgan admitted his side's bowling needs to improve if they are to beat Afghanistan in Delhi on Wednesday.
"I wasn't happy with it (the bowling), absolutely not," said Morgan.
"I think we did well to drag South Africa back to 229, which doesn't say a great deal about it. But when you turn up on a surface like that, who'd want to be a bowler? It's crazy.
"Mumbai is a bowler's graveyard, if you miss your yorker by half a foot it seems to disappear into the crowd.
"Delhi is more short and straight, with lower bounce, so it might mean we bowl a bit shorter or play an extra spinner. We'll assess the conditions when we get there."
