Stokes skippers, Root sent for scans, COVID hits broadcast

A warm-up mishap has seen Joe Root sent for scans after the England captain was struck in the abdomen by a throw-down on a hectic start to day four of the Adelaide Test.

His deputy Ben Stokes was calling the shots on Sunday afternoon when play got underway after Root was struck while warming up to bat before Australia resumed their second innings on 1-45 leading by 282 runs. 

That came amid a COVID-19 scare among the media contingent covering the Test with a member of the BBC's broadcast crew testing positive to the virus.

Several close contacts are isolating, and the BBC and ABC coverage of the Test is being conducted away from Adelaide Oval, but the scare was not expected to affect players participating in the Test.

The Adelaide Oval authorities confirmed a second member of the visiting media had returned a positive COVID result as part of the scheduled day-six testing.

"This individual was working in the media centre in the western stand. He has not attended the ground today and neither have his close contacts. We are undertaking a clean of the relevant media area in-line with our protocols," a statement read.

Australia's captain Pat Cummins is not playing in this match having been identified as a close contact of a positive case who attended the same restaurant on Test eve.

"We have been advised that a member of a broadcast crew has returned a positive COVID result as part of their scheduled testing," an Adelaide Oval spokesperson said in a statement.

"SA Health are aware and we have begun to trace and notify this person's close contacts.

"In accordance with our pre- planning we are undertaking a deep clean of the relevant areas and are facilitating alternative facilities for relevant officials as required."

England will be sweating on the results of Root's scans after the visitors breathed life into their faltering hopes of winning the second Test, having been bowled out for 236 in response to Australia's 9-473 declared.

Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad removed nightwatchman Michael Neser and opener Marcus Harris in successive overs to start play on Sunday.

Harris fell to a spectacular catch by England gloveman Jos Buttler for the second time in the Test, but Buttler's troubled Test took a turn for the worse when he put down a chance off Steve Smith on the Aussie's first ball.

Smith did not get a second chance when the wicketkeeper returned to the sublime to catch one down the leg-side off him to see the Aussies slump to 4-55.

Root will be crucial to England's hopes if they are to pull off an unlikely come-from-behind victory, or even salvage a draw.

The right-hander is the world's leading Test batter but still has not scored a century in Australia, having been dismissed for 62 for his eighth fifty in Australia, having already made 89 in England's second innings at the Gabba.

"It's got to be a mental thing," Ricky Ponting told cricket.com.au about Root's struggle to reach a ton down under.

"There's no technical error in his last two dismissals that has led to him getting out. It's got to be him being not quite switched on enough for the ball he's got out to."

Vodafone Men's Ashes

Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Schedule

First Test: Australia won by nine wickets

Second Test: December 16-20, Adelaide Oval

Third Test: December 26-30, MCG

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, Blundstone Arena