‘Nothing Major’: England Coach Downplays Root–Prasidh On-Field Incident

Trescothick Plays Down Root–Prasidh Verbal Exchange, Calls It ‘Nothing Major’

England’s batting coach Marcus Trescothick has brushed aside concerns over a heated on-field exchange between Joe Root and Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna during Day 2 of the fifth Test at The Oval, calling it a typical moment in the heat of competition. The incident occurred early in Root’s innings on Friday, when Krishna appeared to target the former England captain with a few words in his very first over. Root, known for his calm demeanor, responded in kind—especially during a tense 24th over that saw a flurry of back-and-forth between the two.

Umpire Kumar Dharmasena had to step in to defuse the situation before it escalated further. While Root’s reaction surprised many given his usual temperament, Trescothick dismissed the moment as harmless. “Nothing major—just the usual stuff you hear in a competitive game,” Trescothick said at the post-day press conference. “Joe reacted a bit differently this time, but it wasn’t anything serious.”

Trescothick also commented on another charged moment from the day: Akash Deep’s send-off to Ben Duckett. After dismissing the England opener for 43, the Indian pacer placed a hand on Duckett’s shoulder and appeared to share a few words as he walked off—a gesture that drew attention. “Yeah, that was a bit different,” Trescothick said with a smile. “I joked that back in my time, someone might’ve dropped an elbow instead. But honestly, no harm done. Just one of those moments you get in a hard-fought series.”

Friday saw bowlers dominate on a lively Oval pitch, with 16 wickets falling on the day. India ended with a slender 52-run lead and eight wickets in hand in their second innings, setting up a tense finish to the series decider. Harry Brook and Yashasvi Jaiswal led the resistance with hard-fought fifties in tough conditions, while Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj shared four wickets each in a high-pressure bowling display.