[Watch] Joe Root bats left-handed in net session ahead of 2nd IND vs ENG Test

England batter Joe Root spent some time batting left-handed in his net session in the lead-up to the second Test against India, scheduled to begin on Friday, February 2.

England's Bazball revolution has facilitated players to break through the confines of traditional strokeplay. And making the most of the freedom, they have stepped up with various innovations. Root himself has repeatedly used the reverse scoop over the last couple of years, a shot that was not in his arsenal in the formative years of his red-ball career.

In the video which is going viral on social media, Root can be seen batting left-handed and attempting the reverse sweep shot. To his credit, he executed the shot pretty well. Have a look at the clip:

Ollie Pope dished out an exhibition of reverse sweeps in his stellar 196-run knock in the second innings of the memorable contest, and later termed the unorthodox shot as reliable as a defensive stroke in such conditions.

As far as Root is concerned, he was dismissed by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja in the first innings of the series opener in Hyderabad while attempting to play the sweep shot. Despite Jadeja's absence in the upcoming Test due to injury, Root will still have to deal with the left-arm spin of Axar Patel, and potentially even Kuldeep Yadav.

To negate the ball turning away from him, the ace batter has ramped up his preparation as a left-handed batter, which could translate onto the pitch during the next Test in Vishakapatnam.

Joe Root batted left-handed during the tour of Pakistan in late 2022

The former England skipper, Root, one of the best players of spin in the visiting squad, had to resort to such unorthodox batting techniques in the past as well. He batted as a left-hander during the tour of Pakistan in 2022 to counter Zahid Mahmood's leg-spin bowling.

Similarly, David Warner also batted right-handed instead of his usual left-handed stance against Ravichandran Ashwin during the ODI series in India ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Will the ace batter play as a left-handed batter at any stage of the second Test match against India in Vizag? Let us know what you think.