England lynchpin Joe Root had been dismissed attempting the reverse sweep in both innings of the first Test against New Zealand at the Bay Oval. Although Root has pulled it off successfully in the recent past, even against fast bowlers, a player of the conventional mold losing his wicket while playing unorthodox shots twice in a row raised many eyebrows.
Root eschewed the reverse sweep for a large part of his innings in Wellington. He was on the verge of 90s when the commentator remarked that the England stalwart has not tried the stroke today. Much amusingly, Root unleashed the reverse sweep off Neil Wagner on the very next ball. The timing of the unconventional shot left the commentators in splits.
Having starting the second session in a slightly vigilant manner, Root and Harry Brook upped the tempo soon. The England duo scored 136 runs off 27 overs in the second session, taking their fourth-wicket partnership to 216 runs by the time Tea was taken.
“No reverse sweeps today”
Think again 🤣
Joe Root proving he can play every shot in the book 📕#NZvENG pic.twitter.com/c5rjwR1QC7
— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) February 24, 2023
