Former England skipper Joe Root decided to have some fun on ‘Day 4’ of the ongoing first Test match against Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, when he decided to bat left-handed for a short while, perhaps for the first time in international Cricket.
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It all happed during the 22nd Over of England’s second innings, after Root smashed a fluent half-century off mere 48 deliveries.
Right-arm leg-break bowler Zahid Mahmood decided to bowl from around the stumps to the right-handed Root, in a possible bid to keep the run-flow in check, with the English side motoring along at more than six runs an Over yet again.
However, the crowd and viewers were in for yet another surprise from the English team now owing the ‘Bazball’ approach to Test Cricket, as their former skipper who mind you has just shown keen interest in partaking in IPL 2023, decided to turn into a left-handed bat to take on the leg-spinner.
Root surprises everyone by batting left-handed
On the first delivery of the Over, Root did turn into a left-handed bat before the delivery stride, to hit a rather decent shot although for no run, to short mid-wicket.
Perhaps, brimming with confidence with the shot, the 31-year-old now decided to play as a left-hander ahead of the second delivery of the Over, much to the surprise of everyone.
Come the delivery, Root decided to play the conventional left-hander sweep only to survive a possible caught dismissal at mid-wicket, with Naseem Shah dropping the catch.
However, he then continued to bat with his usual right-handed stance to Mahmood for the rest of the Over, and the ones following thereafter as well.
Joe Root left handed batting video
Joe Root simply bats left handed. Remarkable pic.twitter.com/CXUr3dLCS8
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) December 4, 2022
Joe Root decides to bat left-handed 😳#PAKvENG | #UKSePK pic.twitter.com/GOvnkof54B
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 4, 2022
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