Hales calls time on Root mimicry

Alex Hales has realised he must remain his own man as he tries to cement his position at the top of England’s batting order rather than trying to copy anyone else.

Earlier in the series at Old Trafford, the television coverage picked up that Hales had made an adjustment to his technique between the first and second innings. Hales revealed that had come from watching Joe Root during his double century, but he said that the tweaks, which involved trying to replicate Root’s trigger movements at the crease, did not feel natural to him.

Instead, he went and worked with Peter Moores, the former England coach who is now a battling consultant with Nottinghamshire, and returned to trusting his own methods.

Hales made 54 in the game-changing opening stand of 126 with Alastair Cook in the second innings at Edgbaston, which was his first significant contribution of the series, but he is still waiting for the maiden Test century which would make him the first Englishman to make hundreds in all three formats.

“Watching Rooty bat in the first innings [at Old Trafford], the way he moves his feet around the crease, got me thinking about little adjustments in my game. Second innings, I tried to give it a go and it wasn’t something I was comfortable with,” Hales said.

“In between Tests I did a lot of work with Peter Moores. Trying to copy other players isn’t being true to yourself. I made some improvements after South Africa and just because you get a couple of good balls doesn’t mean you …

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