As the countdown for the big Ashes Test series between Australia and England begins, the mind games and verbal battles from both sides have already started.
David Warner, the former Australian opener, earlier took a cheeky dig at the English legend Joe Root, suggesting that Root should 'take the surfboard off his front leg.'
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Root has now responded to Warner's remark, stating that he's not one of those guys who will get into these verbal volleys and feels that he's in a good state to get his first hundred in Australia.
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Joe Root reacts to David Warner's 'surfboard' jibe
Warner, in his interview with the BBC sports had stated, "The big anchor there is Rooty (Joe Root), who is yet to score a hundred in Australia. Josh Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He'll have to take the surfboard off his front leg."
Root has now responded to Warner. The surfboard jibe was aimed at Root's front-foot technique, which led to his LBW dismissals, especially against Aussie quick Josh Hazlewood.
The England batter replied in his typical calm demeanor, stating Warner's remarks as irrelevant.
"I can't have any control or say on how people see the game or talk in an interview," said Root. "It is irrelevant. What more can I do about it? Just keep my surfboard out of the way and make sure it is not a talking point in 100 days' time."
Will Root respond to David Warner on the field?
Root and Warner will come up against each other at the Hundred when their sides, the Trent Rockets and the London Spirit, face off on Thursday. On being asked whether he would respond to Warner's jibe on the field, Root said, "I don't think so."
"I guess it is all part of the fun, right? We will see what happens, but it is not really in my nature to get too verbal," the Englishman added.
Despite all his great achievements in the longest format of the game, Root hasn't managed to score a Test century in Australia. The English great recently became the second-highest run-scorer in the history of Test cricket, going past the great Ricky Ponting.
Root's struggles to get a century in Australia
While Root hasn't scored a ton in Australia, his numbers are not too bad either. He averages nearly 36 in that part of the world, with a total of nine fifties. However, his records in Australia are well below par for his career records.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s | HS |
| 14 | 27 | 892 | 35.68 | 9 | 0 | 89 |
"Having played in Australia a couple of times before, now going with 150-odd Test caps under my belt, I feel I couldn't be more ready for it," said Root when asked about his preparations for the upcoming Ashes.
"The thing that stands out for me is I probably wanted it [a century] way too much the last couple of times. It took me away from what was important," he concluded.
The Ashes is scheduled to take place from November 21st and will be hosted by Australia.