India fast bowler Prasidh Krishna opened up how the on-field friction with England's Joe Root on Day Two of the fifth and last Test at The Oval was just friendly jibes—although it was also a part of India's strategy.
The angry exchange between the two, necessitating an umpire's intervention, came after Root hit a boundary during the 21st over.
The normally calm England batter responded with visible annoyance to what Prasidh had said, putting flavor into an already intense duel.
Playing down the scuffle in the post-day press conference, Prasidh revealed, "Well, it was a very small thing. I think it was just a competitive edge amongst us that was coming out. Both of us are good mates off the field. It was just a little bit of a banter and both of us enjoyed it.
Although the moment seemed spontaneous, the fast bowler conceded that goading Root wasn't entirely accidental.
"Same thing was my plan. But I didn't actually think that a couple of words that I have said would move him so much. But as I said, I adore the man that he is. He is a legend of the sport. And for him to get out there, it's wonderful when two individuals are out there to try their best," he added.
Prasidh, who bagged four wickets to assist India's recovery after England's explosive opening through Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, revealed that some of the field banter assist him in getting into a rhythm.
"I do my best to enjoy bowling if it means that I get a bit of a chat with the batsman. And it does assist me when the batsman is also, I can get into the nerves and have a reaction from him. And I think I was just running in nicely," he explained.
Pace Unit Regrouped After Morning Session Setback
The Indian pacers were put to the task in the first session, but Prasidh described how the trio of him, Siraj, and Akash Deep regained their composure in the break and turned up with a clearer mind.
"As a team we knew what happened before lunch and the three fast bowlers, I think we got together in a small corner and decided, what's happened has happened," he said.
"And we all know what we have to be doing and we just said, every time we're on the field, at the mark, we trust one another enough, go have a word to each other, tell them if you're not in the right way, and just make sure you're bowling the right lines and take it from there."
He also included that the team as a whole made a decision to portray more assertive body language and intent for the rest of the day. "If the next three, two hours, if we can show some body language, I think it's going to make a big difference — and it made a big difference."
With England's batsmen renowned for their aggressive style, Prasidh attested to the challenge of maintaining good areas for bowling when runs are coming in at a rapid pace.
"They are playing a lot of shots and as a bowling unit, it's very hard for us to keep bowling the same areas, knowing they're going to do all kinds of things and try to score runs," he said.
"But that's the challenge itself. If you can still make it there and have an idea of your lengths and lines and continue to bowl good balls again and again, I think it's a matter of time. And that's the challenge — to be able to bowl the good lengths despite the attacking intent of the batsman."
Akash Deep's Unorthodox Send-Off Draws Reaction
Meanwhile, Prasidh's pace partner Akash Deep made the headlines for a different reason. Having bowled out Ben Duckett, the young pacer sent him off with a friendly hug—putting an arm around him as he left the field—a gesture the English batter seemed ill at ease with.
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick called the act unusual and gently faulted the move.
"People like that in my day would simply have dropped the elbow on him or something very different. I don't think I've ever seen a bowler do something like that after dismissing someone," said Trescothick in a media appearance.
"Clearly, you are seeing them having a lot of words; you've seen it in this series on both sides. It was just different to me; I was just joking around about it. It is what it is. You put your head down and walk away, your work is done at that point. There is no need to take him out in that manner."
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