Joe Root’s Ashes series ended with England unsure whether their captain would return to the crease after retiring hurt for a second time with dehydration, diarrhoea and vomiting at the SCG.



Root did not return to the field after lunch on day five in Sydney, as the visitors fought in vain to save the final Test of the series and avoid a 4-0 scoreline.



Hospitalised after Sunday’s record-breaking Sydney heat, Root did not resume his innings at the start of play on Monday but came out after Moeen Ali was dismissed midway through the morning.



Symptoms returned at lunch, though, and he remained in the dressing room after the break with officials unsure whether he would be well enough to resume his innings.



Root spent the most time of all players in the middle of all players on Sunday, fielding for the first half of the day before being called to the crease just six overs into England’s innings.



Temperatures at nearby weather bureau stations reached 43.4 and 43.7 degrees, above the record 43.1 taken during the 1908 Adelaide Ashes Test.



A heat stress tracker, taking into account environmental factors for a ‘feels like’ mark, at the ground also displayed a reading of 57.6 in the middle.



England blamed a gastro bug rather than Sunday’s temperatures, but it still prompted debate on whether the International Cricket Council needed to introduce a policy to protect players in extreme conditions.



Former Australian Test batsman Dean Jones, famous for his hospitalising double century in extreme heat during the 1986 tied Test in India, called for games to be suspended in extreme heat.



“After speaking to a couple of doctors this morning ... in my opinion cricket should be called off after 41C ... it’s a workplace issue now ... Just my opinion,” he tweeted on Monday morning.



It’s understood Australian players felt the conditions much more in the oppressive heat during last year’s tour of Bangladesh, where Peter Handscomb and Pat Cummins were particularly affected.



A common-sense approach is largely taken by match officials in elite Australian cricket matches during the heat.



Extra drinks breaks were added on Sunday, while medical officials kept a closer eye on players. Messages over the big screen also prompted fans to be sun-safe and hydrate.



A round of Sydney grade cricket – governed by the state body – was called off last summer in severe heat, however a Sheffield Shield match continued in the city in the same conditions.



But players in Shield and other elite matches have access to ice jackets, misting fans and scientific analysis that amateurs do not.