Joe Root left feeling the heat as England batsman struggle against South Africa in Boxing Day Test

England were bundled out for 181 by the hosts as they lost control of a Test which accelerated wildly towards a conclusion with 15 wickets on day two

Joe Root and his fellow batsmen have so far failed to deliver for the visitors (Getty)

If the best Test batters are said to have more time to play their shots than the rest, then Joe Root’s dismissal on day two at Centurion proved it equally true that, sometimes, you can have too much.

For when Vernon Philander wobbled a ball down, those less equipped might have pressed forward and edged it traditionally, coaxed into playing – as Rory Burns and Jos Buttler both were. Others may have misread the line completely, as Jofra Archer did when he lost his off-stump covering a ball he thought was destined for middle.

Those on the top tier, though, the ones who read length best and are decisive with their balance and footwork, watch and play as late as possible. And when that ball is wobbling down, clear as day outside the line of off-stump, they’re as good as anyone at leaving it alone.

Root used to be part of that select group. But he may find it hard renewing his “Big Four” membership with a year average that now sits at 36.50 after another failed start. Certainly his demise, watching Philander’s delivery all the way and deciding at the last moment to offer it a whiff of his bat, was unbecoming for a player who was once a platinum card-carrying member of that club.

The captain’s unforced error came as England had begun to consolidate after a particularly dismal opening to their first innings, and was indicative of a quick finish that eventually saw them skittled for 181. Because of his ability and perhaps exaggerated by just how much this team needs his runs, Root’s exit was comfortably the most avoidable and disastrous.

South Africa had been dismissed for 284, just seven runs added to their overnight score, but had bitten back with their superstar opening quicks Philander and Kagiso Rabada. Burns could do little about the ball he edged, nor could Dom Sibley: the former moving off the surface, the latter ballooning. At 15 for two, Root was walking into the eye of the storm.

Rabada steamed in and pinned Root on the glove. Then the helmet, a blow that caused enough concern for drinks to be taken early as the England physiotherapist came out for the routine concussion assessment. From that point on, Root was flawless, coping with the extra bounce when batting at the Pavilion End and lack of it shaping up with the Hennops River behind him. He was at ease, too, with the first and second change of Dwayne Pretorious and Anrich Nortje. For a moment, at 70 for two, things were looking promising.

One mistake later, they were back in the mire, and 30.1 overs later, England were giving up a 103 lead. The ninth time they have been rolled out for under 200 in 2019. A team who don’t learn and a marquee batsman who, despite scoring an immaculate 226 in his previous innings, still makes errors like this. A further one may be held against him should the result go South Africa's way after he opted to bowl first upon winning the toss. A bold call not least because he was managing a side riddled with illness.

Anecdotally at least, it seems Root’s first mistakes always cost him. Take Headingley of this year in the Ashes, when he used his feet to get to the pitch of a delivery from Nathan Lyon, was slightly off, and managed to be caught by David Warner diving behind keeper Tim Paine. Over six hours of graft undone in his first misjudgement.

Granted, that’s the game. And the best players score the most runs by making the fewest mistakes. But they also tend to get a lot of the luck, too. Over the last two years, Root has made too many of the former and not seen enough of the latter.

The reason it stands out is because of how things played out for England’s top run-scorer – the reason they finished day two “only” 175 behind. Without Joe Denly’s 50, one of five double-figure scores, SuperSport Park will have been vacant on day four.

Denly was dropped on nought, from his 25th ball, which would have made it 26 for three – Rassie van der Dussen the guilty party at first slip. It was the first delivery he faced from Rabada, but not the first time he’d messed up. And it was not to be the last.

Eventually, with his 28th, he was off the mark. His 34th, from Dwayne Pretorious, nearly bounced back onto his stumps. On 44, he laced his 103rd ball to point and, after what felt like a conversation with partner Ben Stokes, set off on a run that he would not have completed had the throw gone immediately to the non-striker’s end.

Eventually, Pretorious had his man, and his maiden Test wicket. But not before Denly had a fifth half-century in nine innings.

Joe Root leaves the field after being dismissed for 29 runs (Getty)

There were other things that went Denly’s way, such as coming up against Rabada for only five balls in the bowler’s first, most destructive spell. By the time the pair were reacquainted after lunch, Denly was settled and even struck Rabada through cover, pulled him to midwicket and nudged him around the corner for three boundaries in four balls.

You could also say he had the benefit of batting with Stokes, whose introduction began taking the game away from South Africa. The pair would add 72 at a rate of almost five an over, until Denly succumbed to one that nipped through the gate, taking the inside edge along the way.

The temptation here, quite naturally, is to ask where Denly would be without this kind of luck. Think back to when he was dropped at the Oval by Marcus Harris and went on to make 94 – his highest score at the time of writing.

Yet going down that rabbit hole distracts you from a couple of things. Firstly, that Denly is making what he can of the reprieves, ensuring he has faced more than 100 balls in six of his last nine innings. And secondly that, without him scoring these runs or willingly filling in at numbers one, two, three and four, England might have been a bigger shambles than they are. And, more importantly – what use is good luck if you don’t make the most of it?

In many ways, Denly encompassed what England had become as a Test side. A punt. A series of wishful ideas after ideas. He was drafted ias one who might offer top order balance to a team in desperate need for it. Yet now he’s in a peculiar position where he has lasted longer than many who fobbed him off as a Division 2 chancer expected, and long enough to have seemingly already grown weary of this side’s repetitive issues.

James Anderson celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Aiden Markram (Getty)

“Once the new ball wore off, there was some soft dismissals,” he admitted, downbeat the early work for the third and fourth wickets had been undone so spectacularly: 142 for three becoming 150 for six in 17 balls. All in, a collapse of 39 for seven in 94 taking them to 181.

South Africa will be a tad peeved they lost four wickets ahead of day three, though were wise enough to keep Quinton de Kock fresh with a nightwatchman. Under 300 is the target England are praying for, and that’s not out of the question by any means. And while 2019 has seen a lot of dire batting, it has also seen some miracles.

Denly was predictably chipper when asked about the likelihood of a successful fourth-innings chase: “There aren’t that many demons in this pitch.”

Unfortunately for Denly and England, this showing suggests there might not be enough Test-quality batsmen to take advantage of that.