Ashes 2023

Watch: Stopgap short-leg Joe Root plucks one-handed blinder, breaks Alastair Cook’s all-time record

by Wisden Staff July 1, 2023 - 1:07pm 2 minute read

Watch: Joe Root, filling in for Ollie Pope at short leg, produced a spectacular, one-handed catch diving to his left, giving England another breakthrough in an action-packed morning of day four at Lord’s.

A helmet-wearing Root became England’s makeshift short leg in the absence of Pope, who injured his shoulder twice in the Test. Until then, England had managed to send back Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith, the success of their short-ball ploy prompting them to continue with the same for the rest.

Travis Head was the next victim: in the 68th over, Broad pinged one into the left-hander, who only managed to fend it off towards short leg. It flew to the left of Root, who, in a moment of remarkable agility and reflexes, managed to hurl himself and clutch onto it with his left hand.

Root stood up and pointed at the pavilion, possibly gesturing at his teammate Pope, whose position he had occupied as a makeshift.

Statistically, it was a landmark grab too: Root now has 176 catches as a fielder, surpassing Alastair Cook’s count as the most by an England player in Tests.

Australia finished on 222-5 at lunch, 313 runs ahead of England.