The ongoing first Test between Pakistan and England is being played on a pitch which is what batters dream of. The pitch has been a batting paradise with both the teams plundering runs on it for fun with as many as seven centuries scored during the first three days of the contest itself.
Perhaps bored by the state of affairs or as commentator Nasser Hussain put it ‘batting right-handed is to easy for him’, England batting superstar Joe Root decided to bat left-handed for two deliveries and was lucky to have been put down by Naseem Shah at short mid-wicket during the 23rd over of their second innings.
After a short drinks break on the fourth day, England resumed batting on 146/3 with spinner Zahid Mahmood bowling his sixth over.
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First delivery, Root, a right-handed batter, switched stance to turn into a left-hander, went for a sweep and it resulted in a dot ball. He didn’t bother changing his stance for the following delivery and went for another sweep but this time Naseem failed to hold onto the catch resulting in a single.
Root was eventually dismissed on 73 off 69 while Harry Brook made 87 as England declared their second innings on 264/7 in 35.5 overs. Pakistan were thus set a target of 343 to win in a little over three sessions of the Test that remain.
England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first and the tourists made 657-all out in 101 overs with as many as four players hitting a century each. Brook, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett were the centurions as Pakistan bowlers were sent on a wild leather hunt.
The pitch remained placid as Pakistan then made 597-all out with Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique hitting centuries.
The pitch has come under severe criticism with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman himself calling it ’embarrassing’.
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