JOE ROOT was punished for keeping his eyes on a different set of balls as an 87.3mph bowl shattered his box during Day Three of the fourth Test. With England 109-2 and trailing by 388, the 28-year-old was hit “right where you don’t want it”, leaving fans everywhere wincing. Root was on 36 runs from […]
JOE ROOT was punished for keeping his eyes on a different set of balls as an 87.3mph bowl shattered his box during Day Three of the fourth Test.
With England 109-2 and trailing by 388, the 28-year-old was hit “right where you don’t want it”, leaving fans everywhere wincing.
Root was on 36 runs from 81 balls when he sunk to his knees as if he’d never be able to even walk again.
The England captain managed a wry smile from the field as he realised he still had two balls left in the over.
But some fans were far from the mood to laugh as one said, “tuned in just as that happened…ouch.”
Another cheekily replied: “I bet Alastair Cook is laughing!”, while Kevin Framp agreed, saying: “Alastair Cook is sitting up there somewhere going “that’s Karma buddy””.
Twitter user Babs later responded: “audible groan in the office as Joe Root takes one to the balls.”
Root later recovered to manage 71 runs before he was pinned LBW by Josh Hazlewood.
The Sheffield-born star was so plumb that he barely considered a review.
It was only the second time that Root has faced at least 150 balls in consecutive Test innings.
England meanwhile need another Ben Stokes miracle to save The Ashes after a shambolic second day at Old Trafford.
Steve Smith punished Root’s sloppy side with a double hundred as the Aussies posted a massive 497-8 in the Fourth Test — before the hosts stuttered to 23-1 at stumps.
Superstar Stokes, whose runs led England to World Cup glory and a famous win at Headingley, picked up a shoulder injury that may stop him bowling again in the match.
Root just got a ball to the baby maker
—
Steelers 1991 – Damien (@Steelers_1991) September 6, 2019
Alastair Cook is sitting up there somewhere going “that’s Karma buddy”
— Kevin Framp (@BigKev67) September 6, 2019
