‘Very kind of him to help me out’ – Joe Root lauds Virat Kohli for helping him during cramps in Chennai

Joe Root, the England Test skipper, has shown appreciation towards his opposite number Virat Kohli during the first Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. In the first day’s play, Root, while batting, seemed to find the going tough in the hot and humid conditions.

Seeing him cramping up in the final session’s play, Virat helped him in stretching activities before the physio came out. Root, who celebrated his 100th Test with a century, lauded the 32-year-old Virat for the heartfelt gesture of sportsman spirit.

Good sportsmanship from him: Joe Root

“Ya, I’ll be ready for more tomorrow. It was a little bit of a cramp, which was a bit frustrating. Very kind of Virat to help me out. Good sportsmanship from him as you would expect,” Root was quoted as saying to the media in a virtual press conference.

At the end of the first day’s play, Root stayed unbeaten on 128 runs off 197 balls with the help of 14 fours and one six. The 30-year-old right-hander is pretty aware of the challenging weather conditions in Chennai and hence understood the importance of taking care of his body, taking fluids, and getting enough sleep.

“It was actually quite a nice day today, nice breeze throughout. I don’t think I took enough fluids today. I have to get some fluids in, and I could do that overnight. Got to make up for it, eat and rest well tonight,” he stated.

“I was just trying to get used to the surface, get used to the bounce, and as I got in, I found it easier. Like anything, the longer you’re in, the easier it becomes. It was about trying to build a partnership and take it as deep as we could into the day. I’m a firm believer that your best hundred is your next one,” Root added.

Root came to bat after England lost Rory Burns and Daniel Lawrence in quick succession. But then, he put on 200 runs for the third wicket with Dominic Sibley to put the home team on the backfoot. The Three Lions’ skipper is now looking forward to taking England to a score around 600 and 700.