Defending champions England have come up with a bizarre excuse regarding their performance in the World Cup. Senior batter Joe Root has revealed England‘s players struggled to breathe as they battled the heat and smog in Mumbai during their clash against South Africa.
“I’ve not played in anything like that before,” said Root. “I’ve obviously played in hotter conditions, and probably more humid conditions. But it just felt like you couldn’t get your breath. It was like you were eating the air. It was unique.
“You could see it with [Heinrich] Klaasen. You could see how much it took out of him, not being able to get back out onto the field.
“I mean you couldn’t get away from it. You walk out onto the field and your shirt’s soaking wet, and you have a lot heavier breath than you would do, and you know you’ve done your fitness and stuff, it’s not like you’re short on that. So you are very aware of it.
Rashid was trying to get his breath back: Joe Root
“I mean you couldn’t get away from it. You walk out onto the field and your shirt’s soaking wet, and you have a lot heavier breath than you would do, and you know you’ve done your fitness and stuff, it’s not like you’re short on that. So you are very aware of it,” said Root.
“Rash [Rashid], bless him, I don’t think was great going into the game. He put in a brilliant performance for us. Some of the noises he was making when he was walking back to his mark summed it up, really. Trying to get his breath back. It was tough, but that’s the sort of stuff that you come up against and contend with when you come out to play in India at this time of year.”
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