Ashes, 3rd Test: Joe Root furious after being dismissed by Mitchell Starc

England captain Joe Root was furious after
being dismissed by Mitchell Starc at a crucial juncture of England’s innings on
the first day of the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG),
Melbourne on Sunday.

Also Read: Ashes: Joe Root breaks this Graeme Smith record during Boxing Day Test

Putting into bat in the third Ashes Test,
England lost three quick wickets as Australia captain Pat Cummins struck thrice
to send back England’s top three. Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan
were his victims. Root was looking to rebuild the innings with a half-century,
but soon after completing fifty, he fell to Mitchell Starc, leaving England
innings in tatter.

Root chased a delivery on the corridor of
uncertainty, trying to play a cut shot. The delivery found the edge of Root’s
bat with Alex Carey pouching the catch safely. A visibly angry Root punched the
bat in frustration.

Also Read: Ashes, 3rd Test: Cummins, Lyon rip through England as Australia dominate Day 1

Earlier, after the dismissal of opening
batters Hameed and Crawley, it was again left to Dawid Malan and Root to rescue
England. Malan was tested but he was showing patience and it seemed the duo
would save England from yet another poor display.

But returning Aussie captain Pat Cummins,
who had already snared the openers, dismissed Malan at the stroke of lunch to
leave the English reeling.

Also Read: Ashes: Why are England wearing black armbands in the Boxing Day Test?

After Malan was removed, Root and Ben
Stokes tried to rebuild the innings, but one fell after another as Australia
once again took control of the match.

England were finally bowled out for 185,
their second-lowest total in the ongoing series. In the first Test at the
Gabba, Brisbane, England were bowled out for 147 in the first innings.

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England are currently trailing the series
2-0. They need to win the Melbourne Test to stay alive in the Ashes series.
Hosts Australia won the Brisbane Tests by 9 wickets while in Adelaide they beat
England by 9 wickets. A win in Melbourne means Australia will retain the Ashes.