Root To Keep Scoring Options Open Against Indian Spinners, Not Committing To Play Sweep

Sweep shot will stay an important weapon against India spinners but England skipper Joe Root has said he has not yet committed himself to use it in the four-Test series that begins Friday at the MA Ch

"For me as a young lad, I was very small. It took me a long time to grow and develop physically. So I had to find a way of getting the ball off the square against the spinners in particular. There wasn't any pace to work with. And the sweep shot was the one shot that I could actually generate the most power with. So learning to play that very well was pretty much the only scoring option for my junior career," explained the England captain who will play his 100th Test in Chennai.

He said that the initial lessons came from an overseas professional -- Nadeem Khan and from his club ground where the ball spun more than usual on English surfaces.

"My club ground (had a pitch where the ball) spun quite consistently. We had a very good overseas pro in Nadeem Khan (former Pakistan Test cricketer and older brother of Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan). I was able to practice against him all the time. I would speak to him all the time and even from 12-13 years of age, I had a good education on how to go about that side of the battle."

"I think since then I have tried to develop my game a bit more broadly. Tried to work with brilliant palyers and coaches and watched a lot of cricket and a lot of guys around the world on how they go about things," said Root.