Watch: Joe Root bats left-handed vs Pakistan in Rawalpindi Test

Root faced two balls batting left-handed before switching to his original position as a right-hander.

England batter Joe Root plays a shot while batting left-handed during the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan at Rawalpindi on December 4, 2022.  | Photo Credit: AP

England’s right-handed batter Joe Root surprised everyone as he switched his stance to bat like a southpaw in the ongoing first Test between host Pakistan and England at Rawalpindi on Sunday. Root did this after scoring his half-century.

He faced two balls batting left-handed before switching to his original position as a right-hander. The former England captain was eventually dismissed for 73 by Zahid Mahmood.

In the second innings, England declared its innings at 264 for 7 after posting a mammoth 657 runs in the first innings.

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

— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) December 4, 2022

Root, however, is not the first cricketer to reverse his batting stance in the middle of a competitive match.

Former Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, while representing Bombay, batted left-handed against Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy semifinal in 1982. Gavaskar, coming to bat at no. eight, batted as a southpaw and scored an unbeaten 18.