Prasidh Krishna Opens Up on Heated Exchange with Joe Root During Oval Test. India pacer Prasidh Krishna, who picked up four wickets in England’s first innings of the Oval Test, has addressed his on-field spat with Joe Root on Day 2 of the fifth Test. Speaking about the incident, Krishna admitted he was surprised by Root’s reaction, stating that he hadn’t said anything significant to provoke such anger.
The tension flared up during the second day of play in London when Root came out to bat and was met with a remark from Krishna. The comment appeared to upset the usually composed England batter, leading to a rare show of emotion as Joe Root lashed out verbally.
The altercation quickly escalated, drawing in KL Rahul and prompting intervention from on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena, who had to step in and issue a warning to Krishna. Despite the heat of the moment, the Indian quick stood his ground and continued the exchange before the situation was defused.
“I Just Said He Looked in Great Shape, Then It Escalated” – Prasidh Krishna on Heated Moment with Joe Root
Joe Root’s century celebration during the Manchester Test against India was overshadowed by a fiery exchange with Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna. Speaking about the incident, Prasidh shared that his words were harmless, but the situation quickly spiraled.
“I don’t know why Joe Root reacted like that,” Prasidh told BBC’s Test Match Special. “I just said, ‘you’re looking in great shape’ and suddenly it turned into abuse and all of that.”
He revealed the Indian team had a strategy to unsettle Root mentally, but he didn’t expect such a strong reaction.
“That was part of the plan – to engage him in a bit of chatter. But I didn’t think a simple comment would trigger that kind of response,” he said during the press conference.
Despite the heated moment, Prasidh had nothing but praise for the England star. “He’s a legend of the game,” he said. “That’s just who I am when I’m bowling – I like to be aggressive. A little back-and-forth helps me stay in the contest. But I genuinely love the way Root carries himself. He’s a true great, and when two competitive players are trying to win, moments like this happen.”
Prasidh backed up his words with performance, emerging as India’s bowling hero in the first innings with four crucial wickets. Making a comeback after being left out of the previous two Tests, he played a key role in restricting England’s first-innings lead.