"I average more with that than with the forward defence" - Joe Root on his reverse lap scoop
England's specialist batter Joe Root opines that the reverse lap-scoop has a significantly better chance of success than his unorthodox shots. However, the right-hander admitted that it can make him look very silly, given the amount of risk involved.
The former England captain first played the reverse lap scoop in the Test series against New Zealand last summer. Root left his fans in awe when he did the same in the recently-concluded Ashes series against gun bowlers like Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, and Scott Boland.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, the star batter revealed that people would have obviously been unimpressed when he played that shot at Mount Maunganui against New Zealand and got out.
Despite the risk involved, the Englishman mentioned that he doesn't regret playing it and said:
"The hardest thing to hone with that shot was being terrified of getting it wrong and looking stupid in a Test match. The other hardest thing was playing it the next time having got out in Mount Maunganui. I'm sure there were people out there giving me pelters. 'Imagine doing that on day one of a Test match?!'
"At the same time, I think I average near enough 100 with that shot. I average more with that than with the forward defence, and I've got out with that plenty of times! What's the difference, really? I get more runs from the other one."
The 32-year-old also played the shot in the ongoing edition of The Hundred, hitting a delivery off Nathan Ellis, who sent down a full toss.
"Just because someone thinks it's risky doesn't necessarily mean it is" - Joe Root
Root underlined that the reverse scoop is a calculated means to put the bowler under pressure, so a new bowler is deployed by the captain. He elaborated:
"It's the change in mentality. What you perceive as risk and what you perceive as failure. Just because someone thinks it's risky doesn't necessarily mean it is.
"I played that shot at The Oval against Mitch Marsh. I hit that [for six] and he tries to bowl a leg-stump yorker, he misses and it goes down to fine leg for four. He doesn't bowl the next over, someone else has to come back."
The Yorkshire batter currently has 142 runs in six games of The Hundred, striking at 154.34.