Australia England Ashes Joe Root
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 08: Joe Root of England has a rest after feeling unwell overnight during day five of the Fifth Test match in the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 8, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

England’s miseries further compounded on the fifth day of the recently-concluded final Ashes Test when their skipper Joe Root could not come out to bat after suffering from a bout of viral gastroenteritis.

Eventually, the ailment did affect England, as Root did not come out to bat for the second time on the day with England ending their innings on 180 for nine.

The right-handed batsman, who batted for nearly three hours on the penultimate day of the Test, had been on the field for all but six overs of the day’s play. Later in the night, he was hospitalised with diarrhoea and vomiting, as Sydney recorded one of its hottest days in recent years with temperatures in some parts of the city reaching 47.3 Celsius, the highest in the city for 79 years.

It later got announced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that Root was suffering from a viral gastroenteritis bug, rather than the effects of heat exhaustion.

Root did not arrive at the ground until after the start of play and could not start the proceedings with the bat. He took to the field only after Nathan Lyon broke a dodgy stand between Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali by dismissing the latter for the seventh time in the series. Root, who was given a rousing reception by the crowd, batted until the lunch, adding 16 runs to his overnight score but did not come out to bat after the break. England was eventually restricted to 180 for nine, as Australia won the game by an innings and 123 runs to win the series 4-0.

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Root also did not attend the post-match presentations with vice-captain James Anderson filling in for him.

“He’s asleep at the minute, he’s got a gastro bug,” James Anderson, England’s vice-captain, said. “He’s not been too well throughout the night, and it’s taken its toll on him. I think the heat yesterday didn’t help.”

Ashes 2017/18: Joe Root Hospitalised With Gastroenteritis

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