England’s ex-captain Joe Root is one of the most orthodox batters you can get in international cricket. But he too is a human being after all. And he too wants to break stereotypes, it seems. Against New Zealand on day 4 of the Leeds Test, Root improvised such a way that commentator Simon Doull was left with these three words to describe that shot: “Ludicrous reverse sweep.”
Doull, a former Kiwi seamer was left shocked just like any other person in the stands or watching from home as Root improvised and smashed Neil Wagner for a maximum. Watch the video below.
Joe Root. You are ridiculous.
Scorecard/clips: https://t.co/AIVHwaRwQv
#ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/0YIhsZ5T04
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 26, 2022
The home team needed 296 for a win and were at 96/2, looking for some quick runs. That’s when Root went aerial. Nonetheless, England are in driver’s seat with a day to go.
Earlier Jack Leach took 10 wickets in a Test for the first time in his career on Sunday as England were set a target of 296 to complete a 3-0 series whitewash of New Zealand.
Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell had frustrated England yet again with their fourth century stand of the series.
But paceman Matthew Potts sparked a second-innings collapse that eventually led to New Zealand being dismissed for 326 on the stroke of tea on the fourth day of the third Test at Headingley.
England, who had won just one of their previous 17 matches at this level prior to the series will fancy their chances of completing a clean sweep of the World Test champions after chasing down stiff targets of 277 and 299 in five-wicket wins at Lord’s and Trent Bridge respectively.
Leach had already secured a place in Headingley history with a memorable one not out batting at No 11 in a dramatic one-wicket Ashes Test win over Australia at the Leeds ground in 2019.
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