Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting delivered a humorous response to Joe Root’s unusually aggressive reaction on Day 2 of the Oval Test. He jokingly suggested that Dinesh Karthik might know the inside story, referring to Prasidh Krishna’s brief exchange with Root on Day 2 at The Oval.
Known for staying calm under pressure, the former England captain surprised many by responding to the sledging, something he rarely does. Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket after the day’s play, Ponting was asked about Root’s rare display of emotion. With a grin, he replied:
“You’ll have to ask DK for the inside scoop – what was actually said to him.”
"I haven't seen Joe Root react that way"
Mel, DK, Ricky discuss the Joe Root incident with Prasidh Krishna. pic.twitter.com/NPi9PsVT38
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 1, 2025
Karthik responded by saying he wasn’t sure what exactly took place out in the middle. However, he acknowledged his curiosity about the incident, noting that it was unusual to see Joe Root react that way. He added:
“I genuinely wouldn’t know at this point of time. But I really want to find out [what happened] because I haven’t seen Joe Root react that way. He [Prasidh] said something which obviously irked Joe Root a bit because Root is not one to react. But he kind of made it sound like; don’t try to be too smart here. That’s where things started and Prasidh Krishna didn’t back down. He just went at it.”
VIDEO | India pacer Prasidh Krishna on his heated exchange with England batter Joe Root said, "Yes, that was the plan, but I didn’t expect such a strong reaction to what I said to him. But I have a lot of respect for him; he’s a legend of the game. I think it’s great when two… pic.twitter.com/dg1dMk80rB
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 1, 2025
“It Fired Up The Indian Team” – Dinesh Karthik On Prasidh-Root Exchange
Expanding on the exchange between Prasidh Krishna and Joe Root, Dinesh Karthik felt that the interaction brought a surge of energy to the Indian side. He noted India had taken a couple of wickets before the incident and said the exchange further shifted momentum and lifted the team’s intensity.
“It kind of invigorated the Indian team. By then a couple of wickets had fallen and then [they] kind of went on to pick a few more wickets in that session. That probably was a session that told you everything about the series,” Karthik said.
“England had it completely their way in the first session and India pulled it back in such a way that at the end of the session, India were in as good a position as England were after lunch,” the 40-year-old concluded.
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