Joe Root defends England preparation ahead of Ashes second Test after five costly drops in Brisbane - 'We're all human'
Published 05/12/2025 at 14:30 GMT
England dropped five catches on day two of the second Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane. Joe Root was among those to put down a chance and he said it was "one of those days" as he defended England's preparation ahead of the match. Australia opener Jake Weatherald said he had sympathy for England's fielders in "really difficult" conditions for catching.
'One of those days' - Root reflects on England's dropped catches
Video credit: TNT Sports
Joe Root admitted England were not at their best in the field as they dropped five catches against Australia - but said preparation was not to blame.
Australia finished day two of the second NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes Test with a 44-run lead and four first-inning wickets in hand.
England might have been batting by the end of the day had they held their chances.
But Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Brydon Carse, and Ben Duckett - twice - all gave Australia batters lifelines by dropping catches.
England did not play a day-night warm-up match ahead of the second Test, instead opting for five days of training in Brisbane following their crushing defeat in Perth.
"We practice really hard," Root told TNT Sports.
"We had five days leading into this and made sure we got our work done and unfortunately it’s one of those days where a few didn’t stick to hand.Â
"It is different to a white ball [under the floodlights]. I know we get a lot of exposure to it in T20 and ODI cricket, but it is slightly different. You still back yourself.
"We just have to make sure we stay confident and stay up and when we get those chances later on we are ready to take them and back ourselves."
Root added in a press conference: "We worked as hard as we could in the lead-up to this, we had five days of prep and we did a huge amount of catching.
"We made sure we utilised those two [training] sessions under lights well. You can’t replicate that surface, the bounce, the way the nicks come. It’s never going to be exactly the same, it’s never going to be perfect. All you can do is give yourself the best possible chance and I think we’ve done that.Â
"In the lead-up to this game, we’ve got used to conditions, we’ve got used to the heat, we’ve got used to the surfaces. We’ve caught under lights, we’ve caught in daylight and tried to catch in twilight as well.Â
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'You have to take these' - Prior, Finn analyse England dropped catches
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"Sometimes they don’t stick. We’re not perfect, we’re all human and we’re going to make mistakes. It’s how we respond.
"It’s about making sure we turn up tomorrow with the right frame of mind, the right attitude, and knowing our best game of cricket is good enough to do very special things here."
England started the second day with Root at the crease after making his first Ashes century in Australia.
But Root’s last-wicket partnership with Jofra Archer was soon ended and Australia had the better of the day by close as they pushed into the lead.
"We weren’t at our best," admitted Root. "At phases in the game, the way we dragged things back in the last session in particular, it shows what this game can be like, especially with the pink ball.
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Watch highlights: Advantage Australia as dropped catches cost England
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"We have some more work to do tomorrow, but we are well and truly in the game and if we get things right in the morning and apply ourselves in the correct fashion, then we can put ourselves in a really strong position on a wicket that looks like it’s plating, looks like there might be a few cracks to work with later in the game.
"Clearly we have to look at tomorrow first and foremost and get things right there."
Australia opener Jake Weatherald, who made 72, said he had sympathy with England’s fielders.
"We were lucky we didn’t get as many catches square of the wicket as them," he said.Â
"It is really difficult. It was hard [in Perth] last week with the red ball against the crowds. This week has been another level hard, especially square of the wicket.
"I feel for them, I understand how hard it is out there, especially when the ball is being hit hard and there is a bit of dew on the wicket as well. It comes flying at you and it’s not great visuals."
Thoughts?
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