Joe Root paid an emotional tribute to Ben Stokes after the all-rounder announced his retirement from Test cricket, marking the end of the Bazball era. Root, now England's leading Test scorer, will continue playing while his longtime friend and teammate steps away from the longest format.
Root and Stokes: A Friendship Forged in Youth
Root and Stokes have been friends since childhood, having played together for Yorkshire and Durham youth teams. In a moving dressing-room speech, Root revealed that Stokes taught him his first swearword. "It's been a hell of a ride mate, I've loved every minute of playing alongside you," Root said. "I'm so grateful I got to spend the journey with you." Stokes was visibly emotional listening to the tribute, uncomfortable in the typically English way when faced with heartfelt sincerity.
The pair have played together for England 225 times, experiencing Ashes victories and World Cup triumphs, as well as the lows of punishing tours to India and Australia. While Stokes faced more turbulent times off the field, Root had his own early brush with controversy after a 2013 Champions Trophy match, when David Warner punched him in a Birmingham bar. Warner was suspended for the first two Tests of the Ashes series.
Mutual Respect and Support
Root's calm demeanor contrasts with Stokes's ruggedness, but their friendship is built on respect and understanding. When Root stepped down as captain, he fully embraced Stokes's leadership. "I just wanted to make sure he knew that I had his back," Root told The Spin. "The amount of times when we were under pressure I'd throw the ball to Ben or he'd be the one that would stand up in big moments of games. I think it's my time now to try and pay that back."
Stokes was pained to see Root criticized after stepping in to lead an inexperienced side at the Oval following the Rex Rooms fallout. Stokes felt his actions had put his friend in an impossible position, reopening scars from Root's own captaincy struggles.
The Bazball Spirit: Root's Reverse Ramp
At Trent Bridge on Saturday, a single shot made clear England would win or lose in Stokes's image. Root reverse-ramped his second ball for four, a signature Bazball move. The crowd gasped and then celebrated as if witnessing the winning runs. Root had attempted the ramp to Pat Cummins on day four of the 2023 Edgbaston Ashes Test, missing but making a statement. He later ramped Scott Boland for six and four.
However, the ramp hasn't always succeeded. Root attempted it against Jasprit Bumrah in Rajkot in 2024, but was caught, triggering a collapse that cost England the Test. Root defended the shot as a percentage option. In May, when asked if the ramp would appear this summer, Root smiled and said, "We'll see."
Root Stands Alone
Root is now the only player remaining from the first Bazball Test at Lord's in 2022. He has seen Alastair Cook, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and now Stokes leave the scene. He will continue playing, shepherding new faces while eyeing Sachin Tendulkar's record. With his best mate departing in a blaze, Joe Root stands alone among the embers of the Bazball era.
