Watch: Joe Root gifts England team jersey to retiring journalist ahead of India T20

Bengaluru: While Joe Root continues to be a threat for the opposition, the England batsman seems to be one of the gentle cricketers going around off the cricket field.

The right-hander had won quite a few Indian hearts after he made no bones about the lack of training facilities and practiced on the road, ahead of India versus England Test in Chennai in December after cyclone Vardah hammered the Chennai and the areas of nearby.

His humane side was once again on display during the England team’s press conference on the eve of the third Twenty20 against India at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Root, after answering questions from the journalist, signed off the media interaction by gifting a signed England team’s jersey to retiring journalist Richard Hobson.

The senior British journalist, who has been covering cricket for The Times since 1997, began his career in 1985 as a trainee with the Long Eaton Advertiser. Hobson then worked for Scarborough Evening News and Nottingham Evening Post before he started working with The Times.

In the same press conference Root also made it clear that he never had any problems with umpires in any game. Root was answering as he addressed a question about his controversial dismissal in the final over of the second T20 against India in Nagpur.

Root, in fact, sympathised with C Shamshuddin, who has been severely criticised for his decision to adjudge Root out LBW off Jasprit Bumrah.

“As a player you can commit mistakes and you can get things wrong, and as an umpire it is exactly the same. It will not be right to single any man as an umpire," Root said.