Emotions ran high on Day 2 of the fifth Test at The Oval as former England captain Joe Root was involved in a rare on-field confrontation with Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna.
The heated exchange unfolded early in Root’s innings on Friday, with Prasidh unleashing a barrage of verbal taunts during the 24th over. Uncharacteristically, Root did not turn the other cheek, responding in kind and engaging in a prolonged war of words. The normally composed English batter appeared visibly irritated, continuing to chirp back at the bowler through the over.
Joe Root and Prasidh Krishna interaction #ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/5zOGWj84QQ
— ascii13 (@zeracast) August 1, 2025
Umpire Kumar Dharmasena was forced to step in and separate the two players before the situation escalated further. Mohammed Siraj also became involved briefly, exchanging words with Root before tempers cooled on both sides. Even after the over ended, Root was seen approaching the umpire.
What did prasidh do cause I can`t remember the last time I saw Root this pissed 😭 pic.twitter.com/jWQxnRHkWc
— garvi. (@kohlichronicles) August 1, 2025
This marked a clear shift in India’s approach as the bowlers turned to verbal aggression following a chastening morning session dominated by England’s top order. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett had launched a relentless assault on the Indian attack, racing to 92 runs within just 13 overs and reducing the deficit in rapid time after India’s modest first-innings total of 224.
Earlier in the day, Akash Deep had ignited the spark when he dismissed Ben Duckett just before lunch. While celebrating the much-needed breakthrough, Akash walked up to Duckett, placed an arm around his shoulder, and appeared to deliver a pointed send-off.
Duckett, visibly displeased, chose not to engage and pulled away without responding, making his way back to the pavilion. The send-off drew criticism from pundits and fans alike, who deemed it unnecessarily provocative, especially given that Duckett and Crawley had severely punished Akash during their explosive opening stand.
Observers on social media noted that India’s rising frustration was evident, with their bowlers struggling to contain England’s attacking approach.
With the series on the line and England leading 2-1, the intensity has reached boiling point in this final Test.
Teams:
India: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj
England: Ollie Pope (c), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith(w), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue
