Joe Root – Prasidh Krishna Controversy Put to Rest as Indian Bowler Clears Air Around Sledging

During their heated Day 2 argument at The Oval, Joe Root reportedly told Prasidh Krishna not to 'act smart', in response to the Indian bowler.

Joe Root – Prasidh Krishna Controversy Put to Rest as Indian Bowler Clears Air Around Sledging

Prasidh Krishna stated that his altercation with Joe Root on Day 2 at the Oval, was not a serious one. (via NDTV Sports)

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Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna cleared the air surrounding his unusual altercation he had with Joe Root on the pitch, during the second day of the fifth Test match against England. Krishna, however, noted that he was taken aback by Root’s reaction, as he had not expected such a strong response.

Tensions ran high between the India and England on the second day at the Oval, after Joe Root, known for his calm demeanor, engaged in an verbal spat with Prasidh Krishna. Root came out to bat, following the dismissal of English opener Zak Crawley. It came after Krishna and Mohammed Siraj took two quick wickets, after having initially been hammered by openers Crawley and Ben Duckett in the first session.

Root was welcomed with a series of short balls from Prasidh Krishna, with the first one hitting him on his glove. After beating Root with another well-pitched delivery, Krishna approached the Englishman and was seen saying a few sharp words, seemingly in an attempt to break his concentration. Root responded by hitting the very next ball for a boundary. Uncharacteristically, he then charged up to Krishna and fired back with an animated, verbal retort, appearing visibly miffed and fired up.

The two players got involved in an ugly verbal altercation, ultimately forcing umpire Kumar Dharmasena to intervene and calm the situation. The umpire spoke to the Indian pacer, subtly cautioning him for his aggressive behavior. Even Indian captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul joined the conversation, looking displeased with the umpire’s request for the bowler to control his verbal attacks.

While the confrontation might have left a sour taste, Krishna, speaking to BCC’s Test Match Special after the match, downplayed the incident, stating that it was not serious. He described it as a plan to distract Joe Root. While acknowledging that Root is a legend of the game, the 29-year-old pacer said he enjoyed being ‘aggressive’ and that the ‘competitive edge’ is what prompted the ‘banter’ between him and Root.

Well, it was a very small thing. I think it was just a competitive edge amongst us that was coming out. It was just a little bit of a banter and both of us enjoyed it.

Furthermore, the Karnataka pacer clarified that he likes getting under the batter’s nerves, allowing him to read their mind and game. However, Krishna admitted that he was surprised by Root’s unusually angry reaction, and claimed that he had only mockingly said that the Englishman was ‘looking in great shape’. Prasidh Krishna stated that statement quickly escalated into a lot of abuse and harsh trash.

I just said, ‘you’re looking in great shape’ and then it turned into a lot of abuse and all of that. That was the plan, but I didn’t expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him [Joe Root].

The ongoing verbal battles had reportedly started in the third Test, when Shubman Gill made gestures toward Zak Crawley for his time-wasting antics. It continued into the fourth Test, where Ben Stokes sparked controversy by trying to force Indian players to shake hands and concede an early draw.

Prasidh Krishna Makes His Present Felt, With Brilliant Four-Wicket Haul Against England at the Oval

After returning to India’s playing XI for the final Test at the Oval, Prasidh Krishna made his presence felt with an impressive four-wicket haul in England’s first innings. This was his first four-wicket haul of the series, coming after he had been dropped due to his poor performances in the first two Tests.

Prasidh Krishna four-wicket haul
Prasidh Krishna scalped a four-wicket haul in the first innings of the fifth Test against England. (via India Today)

The 29-year-old played an important role in helping the Men in Blue make a comeback, by getting Zak Crawley’s wicket, who was looking dangerous after having smashed 64 runs off just 57 balls. The English opener mis-hit a short ball straight into the hands of Ravindra Jadeja at mid-wicket. He then dismissed the big fish, Jamie Smith, and followed it up with the wickets of Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson.

He finished with impressive figures of 4/62 from his 16-over spell, which helped India restrict England to 247 runs. Prasidh Krishna, who was criticized for his dismal economy rate in the first two Tests, has now picked up a total of ten wickets in three matches at an average of 41.60.