‘I’ve seen a few things but what he did…’ – Star India batter awestruck with Joe Root batting left-handed against Pakistan

England on Day 4 moved at a quick pace in the first test against Pakistan. And England shocked one and all with their decision to go for the kill and to try and enforce a result on Day 5. They declared their second innings at 264-7 at tea when they had an overall lead of 342. England then got Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam in quick succession to put their noses in front.

But what made headlines on Day 4 was Joe Root’s unusual batting technique that earned high praise from Dinesh Karthik. Soon After Root got to his half-century, he made a move that surprised the cricketing fraternity by batting left-handed against the wrist spinner Zahid Mahmood. He survived initially and continued as he went on to make 73 for the Three Lions.

This is what Karthik had to say on Root, “I’ve seen a few things but what JOE ROOT just did in a test match is definitely a first for me. I’ve only heard Sunil Gavaskar has done this in domestic cricket once. The game is changing in every format and players are willing to keep adapting in every way possible. He said in a tweet.

Here is the tweet:

I've seen a few things but what JOE ROOT just did in a test match is definitely a first for me

I've only heard Sunil Gavaskar has done this in domestic cricket once

The game is changing in every format and players are willing to keep adapting in every way possible.#ENGvPAK

— DK (@DineshKarthik) December 4, 2022

He bats better left-handed than right: Paul Collingwood

Paul Collingwood, England’s assistant coach also went on to share his two cents as to why Root batted left-handed. “Well he does, sometimes (on practicing left-handed batting in the nets). I think he bats better left-handed than I did right handed. He has obviously got some skill if you can go out and bat left-handed in a Test match. We just try and find ways to go against convention and put the opposition under pressure. If leg-spinners go into the rough and to counter that he can bat left-handed then go for it,” he said.

In a Ranji Trophy Game against Karnataka, Sunil Gavaskar had batted left-handed to counter the left-arm spinner, Raghuram Bhat. He said on the show that he did so because he found a way to counter the spin and one way was to bat left-handed which would help him counter the turn and dead bat the spin bowler.