Alex Carey has revealed Joe Root was not wearing a box when he was hit in the nets before play on Sunday.
The hit prompted England team doctors to send the captain to hospital.
Root didn’t take the field with his teammates when play commenced after Day 4 while he was getting scans, with Ben Stokes assuming the responsibility of captain.
He returned to the field in the half-hour before the dinner break, although he didn’t bowl his customary finger spin before the interval.
With scans giving him the all-clear, Root strode out to the crease to bat for England late in the day when they were up against the ropes.
However, it simply wasn’t his day as Mitch Starc hit him in the nether reigons for the second time that day with just a few overs to play, keeping the Englishman down on the ground in pain for a few minutes.
Root battled on despite the pain but was dismissed in the last over by Starc on Day 4.
Australian wicketkeeper Carey was in the nets when the original incident occurred, telling SEN Test Cricket it’s “not surprising” Root was in so much pain after the second blow.
“I was actually in the nets yesterday (Sunday) morning when he copped one with some throwdowns, I looked over and asked if he had a box on, and he didn’t have anything on,” Carey said.
“So it’s not surprising he was in a fair bit of pain with the second blow.”
Upon hearing Root wasn’t wearing a box ahead of what was one of England’s most crucial days, Simon Katich couldn’t understand why.
“When you hear about the fact he didn’t go to the nets with a box on, (it) just beggars belief,” he said.
“Cricket has a nasty way of following you around when things aren’t going to plan, the karma in the cricket gods.
“Yesterday wasn’t Joe Root’s day and it wasn’t England’s, and they’re in all sorts of trouble now.”
Play has just begun on Day 5, with Australia needing just six wickets for victory.