Tensions on the rise in battle for Ashes
9 Dec 2013 5:33 AM IST
Australia seamer Mitchell Johnson appeared to brush shoulders with England debutant Ben Stokes, and Matt Prior (31 not out) had a running verbal battle with several Australian players in the day’s final overs.
Skipper Michael Clarke was fined 20 percent of his match fee for threatening tailender James Anderson with a broken arm in the home team’s 381-run victory in the first Test in Brisbane, which was tarnished by constant sledging as frustrations boiled over.
The insults resurfaced Sunday but players from both sides said the confrontations were unremarkable in the tradition of hard-fought Ashes contests. ‘I didn’t feel there was anything going on out there. You want to play hard cricket and it’s Ashes cricket. You’d expect that. You’d be disappointed if there wasn’t a bit of rivalry and I think it makes entertaining cricket to watch, and it’s certainly good to be involved in that out there in the middle. You know you’re in a battle and have got to front up and fight for your country,’ said Joe Root, who scored a fighting 87 for England.
Root said he expected to be sledged by Australian players and was not put off by the verbal insults and sniping during his four and a half hours at the crease.
Skipper Michael Clarke was fined 20 percent of his match fee for threatening tailender James Anderson with a broken arm in the home team’s 381-run victory in the first Test in Brisbane, which was tarnished by constant sledging as frustrations boiled over.
The insults resurfaced Sunday but players from both sides said the confrontations were unremarkable in the tradition of hard-fought Ashes contests. ‘I didn’t feel there was anything going on out there. You want to play hard cricket and it’s Ashes cricket. You’d expect that. You’d be disappointed if there wasn’t a bit of rivalry and I think it makes entertaining cricket to watch, and it’s certainly good to be involved in that out there in the middle. You know you’re in a battle and have got to front up and fight for your country,’ said Joe Root, who scored a fighting 87 for England.
Root said he expected to be sledged by Australian players and was not put off by the verbal insults and sniping during his four and a half hours at the crease.
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