England star Joe Root feels that Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj uses his on-field aggression strategically to create pressure and unsettle opponents. The two shared several gripping contests during the recent five-Test India-England series, which concluded in a 2-2 draw.
Root was England’s second-highest run-scorer in the series, amassing 537 runs at an average of 67.12, including three centuries in five matches. On the other hand, Siraj shone with the ball, topping the series with 23 wickets at an average of 32.43, including two five-wicket hauls.
Speaking about Mohammed Siraj and the Indian players off the field on the Barmy Army TV YouTube channel, Root said (18:43):
“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 Didn’t Think He’d Expect Me To Fight Back” – Joe Root On Clash With Prasidh Krishna
Joe Root spoke about his clash with Prasidh Krishna during the first innings of the final Test at the Oval. The confrontation occurred in the 22nd over of England’s innings, as the match remained finely poised after India posted 224 in their first innings.
“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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