India, Aug. 14 -- As England gear up for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia, Joe Root has dismissed David Warner's provocative jibe, proving that the seasoned batter remains unfazed by external chatter. Warner, who retired from international cricket last year but will meet Root in The Hundred at Lord's on Thursday, suggested that Root would need to "take the surfboard off his front leg" to succeed Down Under, referencing the Englishman's struggles against lbw dismissals in previous tours.

Root, Test cricket's second-highest run-scorer of all time with 13,543 runs, has long been central to England's hopes of reclaiming the Ashes. Yet the 34-year-old has yet to score a Test century in Australia, where he will contest his fourth series....