Watch: At Bengaluru, Joe Root was disastrously run out to give Sri Lanka a second wicketside in the powerplay thanks to a calamitous communication mix-up with Jonny Bairstow.

England were struggling once again in the opening ten overs of their fifth match at the 2023 World Cup. Angelo Mathews had nicked off Dawid Malan for an early breakthrough, with Joe Root at the crease early for the third match running.

Having chipped a ball from Maheesh Theekshana into the off side, Root set off for a run despite the ball having gone straight to Mathews at point. Jonny Bairstow stood his ground at the non-striker’s end and sent Root back when he was halfway down the pitch.

Root turned and set off back for his ground, but Mathews had already thrown the ball into Kusal Mendis behind the stumps. The throw was good, and Mendis took it positioned immediately behind the stumps. He threw his hands at the stumps with the ball safely ensconced in his gloves, demolishing the wicket as Root attempted a futile dive.

Root did not wait for the review and walked straight off the field. The replay showed he was well short of his ground, and the wicket left England 59-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Things went from bad to worse for the defending champions when Bairstow hit a ball from Kasun Rajitha straight to mid-on for the third wicket, before Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone fell before the end of the 17th over to leave them 85-5.

Watch: Joe Root farcically run out for second England wicket

 

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