PAK vs ENG: ‘Mocking Chal Raha Hai’ Fans Troll Rawalpindi Pitch After Joe Root Bats Left-Handed!

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Jatin Khandelwal

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England scripted a stunning, memorable win in the first Test of their first Pakistan tour in 17 years at Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s 10th-wicket pair of Naseem Shah and Mohammad Ali had defied the England bowlers for 52 deliveries who were under the pump to take the last wicket amid the dying light.

With about 15-20 minutes of play likely possible, Jack Leach took his first wicket of the innings, dismissed Naseem lbw, and the England team and their supporting crowd tore into raptures as England took a 1-0 series lead.

Throughout the 5 days of this Test, the pitch in Rawalpindi came under immense scrutiny because of its flat, dull, and unresponsive-to-bowlers nature, leading to a vast amount of criticism of PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja and captain Babar Azam.

After England had ransacked 506 runs on Day 1, Ramiz Raja had slammed the “embarrassing” Rawalpindi pitch. “This is not a good advert for cricket,” he added. By the end of this Test, Raja might take solace that the cricketing world had their eyes transfixed on this game because of Ben Stokes’ brave declaration, giving Pakistan a gettable target of 343, but they were bundled for 268, despite the pitch not deteriorating.

The ease with which the batters have batted on this surface – apart from the fact that there have been 7 centurions in this Test – can be judged by Joe Root deciding to bat left-handed – not because he was bored of batting right-handed, but he thought it would be an effective idea to tackle leg-spinner, Zahid Mahmood.

Zahid Mahmood was bowling from round the wicket, targeting the rough. Root decided to switch to a left-hander in the middle of an over in order to play the leg-spinner’s balls with the turn and hit the ball from the rough outside his leg-stump. He even connected a sweep shot that flew over the head of a fielder who dropped the catch.

Fans trolled the ‘dead’ Rawalpindi pitch further because of how at ease and comfort all the batters have looked, even a left-handed Joe Root.

Here are the reactions on fans on Joe Root batting left-handed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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