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'Awful to see': Cricket world cringes over horror Joe Root incident

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·4-min read
Joe Root, pictured here after being struck in the groin in the second Ashes Test.
Joe Root was struck in the groin twice on a painful day at the Adelaide Oval. Image: Getty

A horror day for Joe Root ended in more pain on Sunday after the England captain copped a sickening low blow before being dismissed with the final ball on day four of the second Ashes Test.

Root's previous Ashes tour of Australia ended in bouts of dehydration, diarrhoea and vomiting in the SCG dressing room.

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But things somehow got worse on Sunday as the England skipper was struck not once, but twice in the testicles in what could only be classed as the least enjoyable few hours an England captain has endured in Australia.

Root was first struck while not wearing a protective box when warming up in the nets before the start of play.

The world's top-ranked batter didn't take to the field with England as a result, but was instead sent for scans to ensure all was OK.

He was cleared of injury, but missed the first 80 minutes of play while at a local hospital.

Root later found that lightning really can strike twice, copping a sickening blow to the same area off a 140km/h thunderbolt from Mitchell Starc.

Facing Starc late in the day, Root copped one that seamed back at him and got him right in the same spot.

Players, pictured here looking on after Joe Root's horror low blow in the second Ashes Test.
Players look on after Joe Root's horror low blow in the second Ashes Test. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

This time he was wearing a box, but it didn't seem to be any less painful.

The England captain immediately hit the turf in agony and stayed down for around five minutes while being attended to be medical staff.

"People get hit there. That's pretty painful," England's bowling coach Jon Lewis pointed out dryly.

"He wasn't in great shape, so to get another one in there was unfortunate for him.

"I've not inspected it myself ... But he will be okay in the long run."

Last-ball dismissal adds to Joe Root's pain

Root eventually returned to his feet, struggled around, and regained his composure to bat on.

The stoppage was almost long enough to deny Starc one last over at England's batsmen.

But as was Root's rotten day, it wasn't close enough.

Instead, he suffered the ultimate horror end when he edged to Alex Carey on 24, leaving England 4-82 on what proved the final ball of the day.

Any hope of chasing down the world-record target of 468 was lost long ago for England.

But after Root's painful few minutes at the crease, the tourists now need a miracle to save the Test and avoid going 2-0 down.

Joe Root and Ben Stokes, pictured here walking off after Root's dismissal.
Joe Root and Ben Stokes walk off after Root was dismissed on the final ball of day two. (Photo by Peter Mundy/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"Joe's a leader and a strong leader in the group and he has shown a hell of a lot of character to get out there and fight because I know he was pretty sore," Lewis said.

"And then once he got hit again to stay on, he could have easily have walked off and the nightwatchman could have come in.

"But that's the character of the man and what it means to him to England captain and he wants to show his team how hard he wants to fight for the team."

The frightful blow came as Root became England's highest run-scorer as Test captain, passing Alastair Cook's 4844-run mark.

with AAP

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