Video: Alastair Cook gets hit where he least wanted; England team mates fail to control laughter

Vice-captain Joe Root reacts as captain Alastair Cook is felled

The 1st Ashes Test has got off to a rip-roaring start, with two days of cricket played and neither England or Australia with a clear advantage as yet. The biggest talking point on the internet from Day 2, however, was not Chris Rogers’ valiant knock of 95, nor was it Moeen Ali’s breakthroughs – it was the moment when Alastair Cook got hit by a 140kmph James Anderson ball in his groin, and the reactions it elicited from the rest of the players.

During the afternoon session, Cook misjudged an edge which flew off the bat of Steven Smith, receiving a nasty blow where he would have least wanted. The England captain was left writhing on the ground in discomfort for a while as his teammates gathered around him.

Joe Root, who saw the funny side of the incident, has had his reaction scrutinised by those internet users overly affected by Cook’s pain. The vice-captain took over England’s leadership as Cook was forced to go off the field for a 40-minute break. He later came back with a wry smile on his face and a thumb-signal to the crowd.

"I saw it pretty clearly actually. I was trying not to laugh," Chris Rogers said, who was at the non-striker's end when the Cook went down.

"Particularly when I saw Joe Root laugh I thought 'oh, he's ok.'

"But apparently it was a sickening sound, so we'll leave it at that."

Here is a video of the incident:

The hazards of slip fielding have been dealt with further:

That's drinks and a perfect chance to look at Cook's 'ball in the groin' https://t.co/qSBCTLnbGr #Ashes

— Betting Directory (@ukBettingNews) July 9, 2015

After an unfortunate incident involving Alastair Cook yesterday, one listener sent us this... http://t.co/U2jcye3gLP pic.twitter.com/SHZkPAflud

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 10, 2015