Prasidh Krishna admitted he was surprised by Joe Root’s reaction to their exchange on day two at The Oval.
IND Vs ENG, 5th Test: Prasidh Krishna Surprised By Joe Root Reaction In ‘Planned’ Distraction
Prasidh said the plan was to distract Root at the crease, but he did not expect that reaction from his Rajasthan Royals team-mate
England got off to a flying start with the bat, scoring 105-1 in 15 overs. It is their second-highest score after as many overs, one run fewer than their 106-0 against Pakistan in 2022.
India fought back well with the ball as Prasidh and Mohammed Siraj both took five wickets, with the latter now claiming the most scalps in the series (18).
Ben Duckett and Akash Deep had a minor exchange after the batter’s wicket, but Root seemed to lose his cool with Prasidh later on.
England’s all-time leading Test run scorer hit Prasidh for a boundary before a verbal exchange with the bowler, causing umpire Kumar Dharmasena to intervene.
Prasidh said the plan was to distract Root at the crease, but he did not expect that reaction from his Rajasthan Royals team-mate.
“I don't know why Rooty [reacted],” Prasidh told BBC's Test Match Special. “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 [to distract Root], but I didn't expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him.
“That's just who I am when I'm bowling, when I'm enjoying [it]. If it means that I have a bit of a chatter with the batter… and it does help me when I can get under the nerves of the batsman and get a reaction from them.
“But I love the guy that he is. He is a legend of the game and I think it is great when two people are out there wanting to do the best and be a winner at a given moment.”
India finished day two with a lead of 52, with Yashasvi Jaiswal leading the way with an unbeaten 51 for the visitors.
However, England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick expressed England’s frustration after they dropped three catches during India’s second innings.
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“You're always frustrated when you miss opportunities,” said Trescothick.
“Of course, we pride ourselves on being very good in those sorts of areas, but it just didn't happen.
“We all know how important they are and we all know how tough catches can be - especially in the slips - so [we are] disappointed, but it is what it is.”
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