Overview

• David Warner, who retired last year and now plays for London Spirit, mocked Root’s Australian Test record and suggested he remove the “surfboard” from his front leg.
• Stuart Broad disputed Warner’s claim on X by noting Josh Hazlewood has dismissed Root LBW only three times.
• Josh Hazlewood has taken Root’s wicket ten times in 18 Tests, though only three of those dismissals have been leg before wicket.
• The spat follows revelations that India’s Prasidh Krishna and other bowlers intentionally targeted Root during their recent Test series in a bid to unsettle him.
• As the Ashes series begins in November, both sides are leveraging media-led psychological tactics to gain an edge before play starts.