Last Updated: July 22, 2023, 3:55 PM IST
Joe Root seemed a bit uncertain at the beginning. (Reuters Photo)
Joe Root attempted a catch when Steve Smith was yet to open his account but seemed a bit uncertain if he had taken it cleanly.
A fresh controversy hit the Ashes 2023 when England’s Joe Root attempted to complete a nearly grounded catch to send off Australian batter Steve Smith.
The events unfolded on Day 3 of the fourth Test, underway at Old Trafford in Manchester. Smith edged a delivery off Mark Wood.
The ball ended in the hands of Root but he wasn’t sure if it was cleanly taken.
Root immediately looked at the ground indicating he was uncertain.
Amidst the confusion, other England players including captain Ben Stokes made a loud appeal, leading the on-field umpires to go upstairs. Though Root did not initially celebrate the catch, he later joined his teammates.
Even after checking the attempts from a number of different angles, it seemed quite difficult to determine whether the ball had actually touched the ground.
But as per footage of a front camera, third-umpire Kumar Dharmasena adjudged that the ball had indeed bounced off the grass, not off Root’s fingers.
Smith could have been dismissed for a duck but ultimately survived.
Mark Butcher from the commentary box said the Aussie batter’s “heart would have been in his mouth for a short while.”
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, who was with Butcher on commentary duty, predicted that the third-umpire might take Root’s initial reaction into his account before confirming the decision.
“There are certain times when you’re 100 per cent sure that you’ve caught it. I think if Joe was positive there, he would’ve thrown the ball straight up,” Ponting said.
Smith though failed to make the most out of the addition life. It was again Wood, who bowled a pacy bouncer and the ball found the edge of Smith’s bat to land into the gloves of England keeper Jonny Bairstow.
Smith left for the pavilion after having managed just 17 runs, with Wood completing his 100 wickets in Tests.
After Smith, Travis Head fell victim to Wood as well with the English speedster continuing his red-hot form.
Wood had taken five wickets in Australia’s first innings and has already taken three in the second innings as Australia went four-man down for 113 runs at the end of Day 3. The visitors are still 162 runs behind England.
