- Former Three Lions skipper couldn’t contain his angst
England cricket legend Stuart Broad has revealed what was going through his head in the midst of his now viral reaction to former teammate Joe Root‘s second-innings dismissal in the first Ashes Test.
Broad, who has joined Channel Seven‘s commentary team for the Ashes series, was in the box alongside former Aussie opener Matthew Hayden and presenter Alison Mitchell when Root was dismissed cheaply for the second consecutive innings.
He has now gone into what was behind his reaction of absolute disappointment and borderline disgust.
‘(It was) a natural reaction for me to just close my eyes and pray it wasn’t actually happening,’ Broad told Sky Sports.
‘You know, if I close them, maybe this isn’t actually happening.’
Broad’s reaction mirrored what many England fans were feeling on the second day of the first Test, with the side slumping to a shattering defeat just hours after they were in a dominant position.
Fast bowling legend Stuart Broad was left disgusted with Joe Root’s dismissal on day two of the first Ashes Test as he commentated for Channel Seven (pictured)
Vision of Broad’s uncomfortable moment with co-star Matthew Hayden (right) went viral
‘I think that’s a genuine reaction and emotion, and that’s why we love Ashes cricket so much,’ he told The Age.
Broad also claims there is one reason the majority of Aussie fans found the video so amusing.
‘The Aussies are revelling in it because they hate me so much,’ he said.
When former England captain Mike Atherton said it looked like ‘it’s going to be a long summer in the Channel Seven commentary box’, Broad replied, ‘Is it ever.’
After bowling Australia out for just 132 and taking a 40-run lead into the second innings, England were cruising.
But they then lost 4/11 in a nightmare period after lunch, and ended up setting Australia a 205-run target to win.
The score was incredibly subpar considering the game situation, and the figure was chased down by the Aussies within 29 overs on day two.
England have since been slammed for their ‘bazball’ tactics, with former players and legends of the side taking aim.
‘They have the tools to be really competitive, but you can’t be competitive without brains,’ former England captain Michael Vaughan said on commentary.
England capitulated after being in such a dominant position at the start of day two
Travis Head (pictured) blasted one of the best Ashes hundreds ever
England captain Ben Stokes (pictured front) is starting down the barrel of another series loss in Australia
With Travis Head scoring one of the greatest Ashes centuries at the top of the order while filling in for Usman Khawaja, who was unable to open due to injury, many have put forward the idea of Head continuing in the role.
The South Australian blasted a 69-ball hundred, which was the second fastest in Ashes history, and has scored four centuries and four fifties across the last two calendar years.
Khawaja, by comparison, has bagged just one century and two fifties in the same period.
Jake Weatherald is expected to retain his place in the side, after making an encouraging 23 in the second innings of the first Test.