Watch: Joe Root bats left-handed throughout PAK vs ENG 1st Test

Veteran England batter Joe Root shocked everybody when he switched his batting grip from proper to left after citing his half-century in the course of the first Test between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi on Sunday.

Joe Root merely bats left handed. Remarkable pic.twitter.com/CXUr3dLCS8

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) December 4, 2022

However, two balls later he reverted to his extra typical stance and reverse-swept spinner Zahid Mahmood for 4.

But the Pakistan spinner had the final snicker when he snared Root by bowling exterior the leg and compelled the Englishman to go for a standard sweep shot which led to a prime edge and a easy catch at high quality leg.

Root will not be the primary batter to alter his stance in the course of an innings.

Former India Test nice Sunil Gavaskar had batted left-handed for Bombay (Mumbai) towards Karnataka within the Ranji Trophy semi-final in 1982.

Facing a troublesome bowling assault led by former India left-arm spinner Raghuram Bhat on a floor that was turning viciously, Gavaskar within the second innings, selected to bat left-handed on the fourth and closing day of the match. Coming into bat at quantity eight, Gavaskar guided his workforce to security and remained unbeaten on 18.

Earlier, England misplaced two early wickets to achieve 46/2 at lunch on Day 4 because it tried to power a consequence after Pakistan’s decrease order dug in to chop down the guests’ first innings result in 78 within the first check on Sunday.

Offspinner Will Jacks, who was awarded check debut on the final minute after Ben Foakes needed to sit out on account of viral an infection, picked up 6-161 on a wicket doing little favor to the bowlers earlier than Pakistan was ultimately bowled out for 579 in its first innings.

England misplaced first innings century-makers Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope to achieve 46-2 in seven overs earlier than lunch for an total lead of 124 runs.