Captain comatose as Aussie urn burns
JOE Root was fast asleep in the dressingroom when the replica Waterford Crystal Ashes urn was raised in triumph by Steve Smith.
Root’s body was drained of energy by a sleepless night, an hour’s batting and vomiting and diarrhoea so severe he made an early morning dash to hospital.
If you’re searching for an image that sums up this tour for England, look no further than the captain comatose and oblivious as the Australians sprayed champagne.
Root held a first birthday party for his son Alfie on Sunday evening, so may have picked up the gastro bug then.
Not out on 42 overnight, he went to hospital at dawn yesterday with team doctor Mark Wotherspoon and arrived at the SCG just before play, still wearing a hospital wristband.
Moeen Ali took his place at the crease. Root walked out to bat when Moeen was dismissed after an hour and played comfortably enough, moving to his fifth half-century of the series.
But he worsened during lunch and did not resume his innings after the interval. He went to sleep on the physio’s bed and the dressingroom lights were turned off.
Root was incapable even of rousing himself for the postmatch presentation and was driven back to the team hotel before he had a chance to shake the Australians’ hands.
In Root’s absence, vice-captain James Anderson was given the job of vocalising the obituary of this series.
“We’ve known for a few weeks that Australia are going to lift the urn, but I guess seeing them do it in person is tough to watch,” Anderson said.
“We’ve not played well enough and they deserve to win.
“I do think it’s been closer than 4-0. We’ve been on top in games, if not all the games at some stage. We’ve just not capitalised.
“Joe’s not had any sleep, he’s not eaten, he’s had diar- rhoea and he’s been vomiting.
“So I guess he’s not in a great state. The heat of the last couple of days hasn’t helped.
“To get to the ground was a great effort and strap on his pads and bat for as long as he did was brilliant and showed exactly what sort of character he is.”
Crushing defeats like this inevitably bring calls for wholesale change.
But it isn’t going to happen. There might be some tinkering to the backroom staff, but coach Trevor Bayliss and senior players such as Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad and Anderson will survive.