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Here’s Why Joe Root Threw Ball In Anger After Grabbing A Catch To Dismiss Travis Head In Leeds Test

Dixit Bhargav
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Here's Why Joe Root Threw Ball In Anger After Grabbing A Catch To Dismiss Travis Head In Leeds Test

Emotions got the better of former England captain Joe Root as he threw the ball in anger after grabbing a catch to dismiss Australia batter Travis Head (39) in the ongoing third Ashes 2023 Test match in Leeds. Not known for showcasing such extreme sentiment on a cricket field, Root had to be calmed down by his teammates, particularly captain Ben Stokes.

It all happened on the third delivery of the 55th over when Head guided a Chris Woakes (3/73) delivery straight to Root at first slip. Perhaps wanting to play the ball between the slips and gully, the left-handed batter pretty much guided the ball off the face of the bat to Root.

Having already grabbed a simple catch to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne (21) in the morning session, Root was quite expressive after contributing in a dismissal for the second time on Day 1.

Here’s Why Joe Root Threw Ball In Anger After Grabbing A Catch To Dismiss Travis Head In Leeds Test

Having said that, in between completing catches to dismiss Labuschagne and Head, Root had dropped catches to hand reprieves to Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh (118) and wicket-keeper batter Alex Carey (8).

It was on the ninth delivery after the lunch break that Root had erred at first slip to provide a life to Marsh in his first Test in almost four years. With the latter accepting it with both hands to register a third Test century, Root’s anguish is understandable.

Had he not dropped a straightforward catch to dismiss Marsh when he was batting on just 12, England could have had a firm grip on the match by now considering how other Australian batters performed at Headingley on Thursday.

Root, who mostly comes across as more than just a safe fielder, was far below his standards on the field today. Even though Carey didn’t punish England like Marsh, Root dropping him on a ball before grabbing Head’s catch was a chief reason behind his exasperation.

It is worth mentioning that Root wasn’t the only English fielder who under-performed in the first innings. Been on the wrong end of fielding inaccuracies throughout the series, wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow also dropped a couple of catches in the first session.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Dixit Bhargav

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Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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