India staged a spirited comeback in the fifth Test at The Oval on Day 2, seizing momentum just before and after the Lunch break. England, cruising at 92/0 in their pursuit of India’s modest 224, suddenly found themselves in a spot of bother at 142/3. The dramatic shift came courtesy of relentless pressure from the Indian seamers, who extracted life from the pitch and forced errors from the English batters. With conditions favoring movement and India’s bowlers fired up, the match teetered on the edge of a fiery turning point—one that arrived in a charged exchange between Joe Root and Prasidh Krishna.
Prasidh Krishna, who had struggled in his initial spell by conceding over six runs an over, returned after Lunch with renewed aggression. He made an immediate impact by dismissing the well-set Zak Crawley for 64. Emboldened by the breakthrough, Krishna zeroed in on Joe Root, delivering a seaming delivery that squared up the former England captain. Buoyed by the delivery, Krishna let slip a bit of a verbal jab—something Root did not take lightly. In response, Root unleashed a crisp cut shot for four through the slip cordon and then turned to Krishna, firing back with an animated verbal retort, laced with intense hand gestures and nods.
The tension between the two escalated quickly, prompting umpire Kumar Dharmasena to step in. Even as Krishna looked visibly irritated, he was pulled away by the official. However, the umpire’s intervention wasn’t solely directed at Root, but also seemed to reprimand both parties equally—a decision that didn’t sit well with Indian stand-in captain KL Rahul. Stepping into his leadership role, Rahul walked over to Dharmasena, challenging the apparent double standard in how the players were being addressed.
In a candid exchange caught by the stump mic, Rahul questioned, “What do you want us to do, keep quiet?” To which Dharmasena responded, “Do you like when a bowler comes up and talks to you?” A visibly exasperated Rahul replied, “I don’t say anything!” expressing his disbelief and frustration. Despite Rahul’s calm but firm argument, the umpire tried to shut the conversation down, saying, “No, no Rahul, please do not talk that way,” in an effort to maintain control of the situation.
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But Rahul wasn’t done. He walked away with a final, cutting remark: “What do you want us to do, bat, bowl and go home?”—a line that quickly caught fire on social media. Fans praised Rahul for standing up for his teammate and not backing down in a high-pressure moment. His spirited defense of Krishna and refusal to allow unfair treatment struck a chord with viewers, who hailed it as a powerful act of leadership in the heat of battle.