England’s Joe Root has said that Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj channels his on-field aggression as a way to build an intense atmosphere and put pressure on opponents. The two faced off in several gripping duels during the recent five-Test India-England series, which ended in a 2-2 stalemate.
Root emerged as the second-highest run-scorer of the series, amassing 537 runs at an impressive average of 67.12, including three centuries. Siraj, on the other hand, stood out as the leading wicket-taker from both sides, claiming 23 wickets at an average of 32.43 with two five-wicket hauls to his name.
Speaking on the Barmy Army TV YouTube channel (at 18:43), Root also shared that off the field, Siraj and other Indian players are very different from their fiery on-field personas, offering a glimpse into their contrasting demeanour away from the game.
“I don’t know most of them really well but a lot of the stuff you see on the screen (sledging), it’s all for show. Someone like Siraj, it’s all his way of creating an atmosphere, whether it be from the crowd or from his team mates. Trying to create some form of pressure and theatre that might give them a small edge. That’s the art of the game and the best person that’s ever done it was Shane Warne.”
“I Thought He Wouldn’t Expect Me To Hit Back” – Joe Root On His Altercation With Prasidh Krishna
Joe Root reflected on his on-field clash with Prasidh Krishna during the first innings of the series-deciding Test at The Oval. With the match finely poised after India were bowled out for 224 in their first innings, tensions flared in the 22nd over of England’s reply when Root and Krishna had a heated exchange.
“The first ball he hit me hard on the finger and I was trying not to show any sort of emotion about it. And then I hit him for a four the next ball or the ball after and he said something to me. I have no idea what he said. I just thought he was not going to expect me to go back at him.”
“There was an element of still being in a reasonable amount of pain. I think the situation kind of required it as well, where we were in the game. It was quite a bowler friendly surface and it was overcast,” said Root (via the aforementioned source).
He further added: “It was trying to find a way of almost creating a bit of chaos and scramble in their mind. I might have mentioned that he was going at six an over. It was on the board so I could read it. It always gets dramatized and gets blown up to be something bigger than it is.”
“And sometimes that can be slightly frustrating as a player, whichever side of it you are on. It’s just about understanding that things aren’t as bad or good as they seem to be.”
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