Former India spinner Murali Kartik has highlighted how the usually calm KL Rahul stepped up to support his Karnataka teammate Prasidh Krishna during a heated verbal exchange with England’s talisman Joe Root. The incident unfolded on Day 2 (Friday, August 1) of the fifth Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at the Kennington Oval in London.
The altercation took place after the 22nd over of England’s first innings, when tensions flared between Prasidh and Root, with Rahul also joining in. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena had to step in to calm things down.
Reflecting on Rahul’s reaction and how the moment ignited extra intensity in the Indian camp, Kartik said in a video shared by Cricbuzz on Saturday, August 2:
“Joe Root is usually very calm by nature. Prasidh Krishna is also someone with a calm temperament. The heated exchange that took place between the two, the argument, led to the entire team gathering around. Even KL Rahul, another calm individual, stepped in to support his Karnataka teammate, which was quite interesting.” “Moments like these help build a strong unit. You become an 11-man wolf pack. It gives the team an extra spark. That was a key moment because India needed a breakthrough, and they got it. You dismissed England’s best batsman and managed to get under his skin. He too can get fired up. But it was a great moment because the whole team came together. Right after that, we got to see a brilliant spell from Mohammad Siraj. That turned out to be one of the most crucial moments of today’s match,” he said.The 48-year-old further pointed out how Prasidh Krishna got fired up after the exchange with Root and went on to bowl an impressive spell, especially considering he was under pressure after being left out of the previous two games. Kartik said:
“The way he said something to Joe Root and followed it up with sharp bowling made his spells even more impactful. That was important. Think about Prasidh Krishna’s situation. He started the series, played the first two matches, then didn’t play the next two. So naturally, there is pressure.” “If you look at this pitch, it is tailor-made for any seamer. You just need to land the ball in the right areas. The movement is coming from the surface itself. So it was important that he bowled with intensity. It felt really good to see this version of him today, showing fast-bowler aggression. That part truly stood out,” he added.The 29-year-old delivered a superb spell, finishing with figures of 4/62 in 16 overs as the visitors dismissed England for 247 in their first innings.
“He has all the ingredients” - Murali Kartik's massive praise for Prasidh Krishna
In the same video, Murali Kartik praised Prasidh Krishna for possessing all the key attributes of a quality fast bowler and highlighted how impressive he looked on Day 2. He said:
“When we talk about Prasidh Krishna, he has all the ingredients you look for in a good fast bowler, just like all the right spices in a perfect dal tadka. He has height, pace, and bounce. But the most important thing is whether he gets fired up. Today, you saw him in a completely different avatar, in a different mood. He looked very fired up. Because of that, his pace also increased.”Playing in his sixth Test, Prasidh has taken 18 wickets at an average of 35.00 and a strike rate of 44.3.
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Edited by Dev Sharma