Root Defends ‘Jaded’ England After Drops

Joe Root defended England’s fielding efforts during the day-night Ashes Test at the Gabba, despite missing five catches under floodlights.

sarah

Dec 5, 2025 - 23:42

Root Defends ‘Jaded’ England After Drops

The four chances England missed came in the night session under floodlights in Brisbane.

England rarely play pink-ball Tests – this is their eighth, while Australia's is 15th. While Australia includes a day-night Test in its schedule every year, England has played only one since its last tour of the country four years ago.

After losing the first Test inside two days, England decided not to send any of their XI from Perth for the day-night England Lions game against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra.

Instead, Ben Stokes' team held five training sessions in Brisbane, two of which were under floodlights.

"We worked as hard as we could," said England batsman Root. "We did a lot of catching and made sure we used those two sessions under lights to their advantage."

"Sometimes catches just don't stick. You have to keep applying yourself and get to the ball so you're ready when the next opportunity comes. That's one of the nuances of the game and this pink-ball Test match."

However, former England captain Michael Vaughan told the Test Match Special podcast that no fielding drill can replicate match practice.

"I would have done things completely differently," said Vaughan, who led England to victory in the 2005 Ashes. "What I saw today was a team that looked tired.

"These fielding drills - they're great, but you know the ball is coming at you. In a game, you have no idea when it's coming at you and it's completely different.

"The art of taking chances is concentration. If you're not practicing regularly for hours, you have to be focused on seizing that opportunity when it comes. The only way to get good at it is to train your mind for it."

When Root was asked about this, he said: "It's never going to be perfect. You can only give yourself the best chance, and I think we did that."

"Before this game, we were used to the conditions, we were used to the heat, we were used to the surface. We caught in the lights, we caught in daylight, and we even tried to catch in the dark of the evening.

"We're not perfect, we're all human and we'll make mistakes."

Whose catch was dropped and when?

These catches were part of a poor day for England at the Gabba, a ground where they haven't won since 1986.

8.2 overs - Aus 30-0 - Smith drops Head: England's first dropped catch, the only one in daylight, was perhaps the worst as it gave Australia momentum. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith failed to hold on to a ball rising to his left when Travis Head edged Jofra Archer. Head, who was on three, was out for 33, but Smith's miss sparked a tumultuous period where Australia were all out for 112 in 14 overs. Gone.

56.2 overs - Aus 290-4 - Duckett drops Carey: The true cost of England's first drop under lights is yet to be known, as Alex Carey remains not out on 46. Facing his first ball, Carey gloved a tremendous lifter from Brydon Carse. Coming in from gully, Ben Duckett caught the ball but couldn't hold it.

63.2 overs - Aus 327-5 - Duckett drops Inglis: This was the only drop that didn't cost England anything, though it's still on the charge sheet. Duckett, at gully, was slow to move to his right when Josh Inglis slashed hard towards him. Three balls later, Stokes bowled Inglis.

68.3 overs - Aus 346-6 - Carse drops Neser: Another one that cost the batsman dearly, as the batsman remained not out. Michael Neser, who was on six, Archer hit it towards cover, where Carse missed the chance to hit it straight on. Neser remained unbeaten on 15 at the end of the match.

69.2 overs - Aus 352-6 - Root dropped Carey's catch: Carey edged towards bowler Gus Atkinson and went between keeper Smith and first-slip Root. Root dived to his right and took the catch with his fingers, but it should have been Smith's catch. The worrying thing is that the gloveman didn't try. "When you see the keeper not taking the catch, I worry," Vaughan said.

For England, Will Jacks took a brilliant one-handed catch to dismiss Steve Smith.

When Smith played a pull shot off Carse, Jacks jumped to his right from backward square leg and took the catch with one hand.Vaughan called it "the best catch I've ever seen."

Nevertheless, these dropped catches further worsen England's poor catching record in day-night Tests.

According to data analyst CricViz, England's catching efficiency in the evening session of day-night Tests—the session in which matches are usually played under floodlights—is 58%. All other teams' efficiency in the evening session of day-night Tests is 80%.

Catching data has been collected since 2006. During that time, England has only performed worse in Australia once, dropping five catches in Brisbane.

This happened four years ago in Adelaide – another day-night Test – when they missed six chances.

"How many times has the England team come to Australia and dropped catches?" Vaughan asked.

"I said months ago that England had a great chance, but one thing we don't pay attention to in the UK – and which they pay a lot of attention to in Australia – is catching and fielding.

"We've come here again and dropped five catches. Two or three of them were easy chances that should have been taken."