‘Embarrassing’: Joe Root ‘nutmegged’ as fans just can’t watch
Joe Root is usually one of England’s best batters but his latest dismissal appears to say it all about his nation’s World Cup defence.
Cricket
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cricket. Followed categories will be added to My News.
As if England’s World Cup campaign hadn’t been embarrassing enough, one of the nation’s greatest ever batsmen, Joe Root, has taken it to a whole new level.
While England scored 9/339 off their 50 overs against the Netherlands, thanks mainly to Ben Stokes’ 84-ball 108 and a 124-run final 10 overs, the Poms’ top order once again struggled.
Anchored to the bottom of the World Cup ladder in their disastrous title defence, England found themselves battling for a place in the Champions Trophy event with the Dutch side on Wednesday night.
Watch every match of The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Live with no ad breaks in play on Kayo Sports. Join Kayo now and start streaming instantly >
The top eight teams from the World Cup will play for the trophy in 2025 in Pakistan, meaning it is virtual sudden death for England.
With only two points with two matches remaining, England need to beat both the Netherlands and Pakistan and hope for favourable results.
After getting off to a bright start mainly thanks to Dawid Malan’s 74-ball 87, England had raced to 1/132 off 20 overs.
A single off the first ball of the 21st over to Malan brought Root on strike to face Logan van Beek, but few would have expected what happened next.
Root, who is undoubtedly one of the finest batters England has produced, attempted — and failed — a premeditated scoop shot as the ball cannoned into the top of middle stump.
“He’s got himself into an awful position,” Natalie Germanos said in commentary.
“He’s trying to be creative, it is a shot we’ve seen from Root in the past, even in the longer format of the game but this time around he hears the death rattle.”
Former England captain Eoin Morgan added: “The position he finds himself in his is one he has played all around the ground. Absolute nutmeg, straight through his legs, cannons into middle stump. Almost hesitant to complete the shot.”
Ex-Aussie star Shane Watson said that the scoop had been “one of Joe Root’s shots”.
“The thing that stands out to me most is that he just wasn’t fully committed to it,” Watson said.
Morgan added that Root didn’t pick up the length and usually “there’s a huge amount of conviction when he does play the shot”.
However, the commentators’ true reactions were soon revealed.
Fans were stunned at what they’d seen from Root.
Freelance radio broadcaster Phil Kinsella said: “As if England haven’t been bad enough at the World Cup That Joe Root dismissal was embarrassing – ‘nutmegged’.”
Flashscore Cricket Commentary tweeted: “Remember when Joe Root used to have a technique you’d want to teach to your child? The shake of the head from the spectator says it all …”
One fan wrote: “England’s performance in this World Cup summed up by Joe Root.”
Another commented: “You kinda wish Joe Root would’ve taken that one straight in the bollocks to teach him a lesson. Idiot.”
Just saw the Joe Root dismissal. Man got nutmegged
— Fantasy Cricket Pro ðŸ (Viren Hemrajani) (@FantasycricPro) November 8, 2023
Lost the plot. Wow Man for man Joe Root? #aussieaussieaussie#madmax#kingmaxie
— K Richtek (@KKr1902) November 8, 2023
It’s not the first time we’ve seen the shot get Root in trouble either.
In a February Test match against New Zealand, Root chased a wide ball, hitting it straight into the hands of Daryl Mitchell at third slip in an incident labelled “brainless”.
It was far from what England needed in the match when it’s essentially a sudden death clash to win the chance to maybe get the consolation prize.
England slumped to 6/192 in the 36th over after Moeen Ali was dismissed but, as per usual, Ben Stokes has to come to the rescue as England tallied 9/339.
England passed 300 with three overs remaining in their innings as Stokes slammed his first ODI World Cup hundred off 78 balls.
He was dismissed in the final over for 108 off 84 balls.
He was ably supported by Chris Woakes, who hit a 45-ball 51 in a 129-run stand.
The pair also scored a lion’s share of the 124-runs scored off the final 10 overs.
Originally published as ‘Embarrassing’: Joe Root ‘nutmegged’ as fans just can’t watch
ALL OUT FOR 46: India crumbles to worst-ever Test total at home
India has crumbled to their worst-ever total on home soil against New Zealand, with five batters dismissed for ducks in a horror first innings.
No captain’s call: Why convention will be bucked for opener decision
Cricket convention will be bucked in the Australia A series with the decision over who opens - and gets first crack at pushing their Test case - ripped from skipper Nathan McSweeney.