Ashes 2013-14: England 'bitterly disappointed' with Joe Root dismissal after umpire controversy returns to haunt series
Questioning of the Decision Review System dominated the summer Ashes Series and Root's controversial dismissal has seen the problem return once again
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Your support makes all the difference.England were “bitterly disappointed” with Joe Root's controversial DRS dismissal at a crucial moment of the third Test, but know they must accept it and move on with trying to salvage the Ashes.
Root's was the second wicket to fall for the addition of five runs, after Michael Carberry was bowled by Ryan Harris to end an opening stand of 85 with Alastair Cook (72).
England nonetheless closed day two at the WACA on 180 for four in reply to 385, and still optimistic they can sustain their fightback from 2-0 down with three to play.
The Ashes Podcast: Stephen Brenkley and Tom Collomosse review the second day of the Third Test in Perth. Listen below...
Cook and Kevin Pietersen were also gone by stumps, reward for an impressive Australia bowling display in searing temperatures.
Carberry is insistent that all is not lost, but made it clear too England could have done without the perceived injustice of losing their number three cheaply in contentious circumstances.
Root called for a review, adamant he had not edged the ball from Shane Watson, having been given out by Marais Erasmus.
But after reviewing evidence from all available technological aids, third umpire Tony Hill felt unable to reprieve the young Yorkshireman.
Carberry said of the outcome: "We were bitterly disappointed by that. We are of the opinion he didn't hit it - hence why he reviewed it.
"It was a disappointing and key dismissal for us. He obviously felt he didn't hit the ball. It's one of those things we have to swallow, I'm afraid."
Pietersen's departure, to an outstanding catch at mid-on by a leaping Mitchell Johnson off Peter Siddle, was another hammer blow to England's hopes of victory here to stay in with an outside chance of clinching the Ashes outright for a fourth successive time.
Pietersen and Cook withstood some hugely disciplined and skilful bowling either side of tea.
But Cook then succumbed to off-spinner Nathan Lyon, and Pietersen's attempt to counter-attack fell flat.
Carberry was unsurprisingly in no mood afterwards to go along with implied criticism for his team-mate.
"I think 'hanging on in there' is a dangerous terminology sometimes, when you bat, because you're out there to score runs.
"As we know, Kevin is a positive player. That's what's made him successful over a long career - he does things that not many of us can.
"It's a shot I think many of us have seen him play time and time again, and hit it out of the ground.
"It's disappointing for him, and us. But we want people to play naturally, and I wouldn't want to see Kevin put that shot in the locker."
After an enthralling day's cricket, this match reached a pivotal point.
Carberry added: "Ideally, we would like to have lost fewer wickets... but it was a good scrap.
"We're still in the hunt."
As for the England wickets which fell, he said: "That's what pressure does. They shut down the scoring at various times.
"We know when that happens, wickets are likely to come.
"Unfortunately, we weren't able to build that really big partnership. But from what's happened so far in innings before in this series, it's a massive stepping stone in the right direction."
Australia bowling coach Craig McDermott was full of praise for his charges, and Johnson for the catch which saw off Pietersen.
"I thought it was a fantastic piece of athleticism - great catch, and a good wicket for us," he said.
"Those two wickets in that last session were very crucial... and the last three and a half hours of bowling and fielding were superb."
Siddle has dismissed Pietersen 10 times in Tests, and McDermott insists there is no coincidence in that.
"Sids continues to get Pietersen out," he said.
"He bowls very tight lines to him, and it's patience. He was four off 40 balls - digging himself a fair hole, from my perspective.
"Then he started playing a shot a ball. Sids has tied him down time and time again, and then the release valve comes - and he cracks him open."
McDermott believes Pietersen, and England collectively in the knowledge they must bat last on a pitch baked by 100 degree heat, will have plenty on their minds.
"Certainly, that's the way we prefer to bowl to Kevin," he said of Siddle's method. "It's working for us at the moment. So we'll carry on, unless he changes his way of batting.
"That's great for us. We hope it continues... it plays on anybody's mind. I think the cracks (in the pitch) are going to get bigger. They grew quite a lot today.
"There's a couple on line with the stumps. So that's going to play havoc on batsmen's minds.
"It may be better we're bowling last on it, because the cracks will be wider."
PA
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