In what was a dead rubber third Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston, Joe Root, stalwart of England’s batting order, pulled off something that truly bordered on the extraordinary in the field. The match had been a mere formality given England’s commanding 2-0 series lead, but it was unexpectedly electrified by a moment of pure athleticism.
Once again, England’s bowlers had pulled off a fine job that now left the Windies inhibited to a total which their opponents could chase down quite comfortably. Young firebrand Gus Atkinson took four wickets, but it was the intervention of Joe Root that made the greatest difference.
Atkinson, already deep into the West Indian batting lineup, was at the threshold of another scalp. He sent down a short, menacing delivery to Gudakesh Motie; he reacted instinctively to the same and tried a desperate heave over the keeper. It flew, mis-hit, unpredictably towards the ‘keeper, who dived desperately but couldn’t hold on.
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As if the ball was going to get away from every fielder, Joe Root, at first slip, launched himself into an audacious chase. His view obscured by the keeper’s outstretched glove, Root backed-pedaled and timed his dive to perfection. In a moment that was almost incredulous, he plucked up the ball out of thin air with a one-handed, low grab to his right.
Joe Root what have you just done!? 😱🤯 pic.twitter.com/SZ5aZ5f7kY
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 26, 2024
The catch was so good that even the seasoned commentator Stuart Broad had no words. “I don’t think I have seen a catch like that very often at all,” he exclaimed, which spoke volumes for how good that effort was. It was a fleeting Motie cameo of eight runs, and Atkinson’s count went up to four for 67. The West Indies, nine down, struggled to get past 259 in the 71st over.
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The Windies had opted to bat first earlier, and captain Kraigg Braithwaite provided them with a good platform. His half-century was supported by 26 from Mikyle Louis, and the opening stand of 76 showed promise. But the middle order crumbled, and it was left to Jason Holder and Joshua De Silva—with 59 and 49 respectively—to bail out the innings with a century partnership.
England’s bowling attack was disciplined, with Chris Woakes claiming three wickets and Mark Wood chipping in with two. Eventually, the Windies were bowled out for 282 in 76 overs. But it was Joe Root’s fielding gem that will undoubtedly be played over and over again and be etched into the memory of cricket fans for years to come.
