England registered a remarkable comeback on Day 1 of their fourth Test match against India at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Friday (February 23). While they had lost 5 wickets in the opening session of the day, led by Joe Root's first hundred of the series, the Three Lions managed to finish on 302/7 with Root finishing on an unbeaten 106. However, one thing that has caught the attention of the netizens was Root's 'pinky finger' gesture aimed at Ben Stokes after the reaching his milestone.
Notably, the signal had gained popularity during the 2022 Edgbaston Test. The gesture also reflected the bond between the captain (Stokes) and ex-captain (Root) with the skipper having backed the experienced batter before the Ranchi Test after Root had failed to make to big in the series before the Ranchi
The 'pinky finger' celebration witnessed during the ongoing Ranchi Test between England and India is not a one-off for Root. The celebration is known to be inspired from American singer Elvis Presley's biopic, featuring Austin Butler.
"I don’t think I’ll ever be able to feel or look like a rockstar but for 10 seconds I might have done, that’s what the little pinkie was about. Ben watched the Elvis Presley film the other day and he’s been doing that all week, so it was a little tribute to him," Root had said after a hundred in Edgbaston which had levelled the series for his side.
"The Yorkshireman inside me is still saying dig in, play straight and get behind it. Then there’s the captain on the other shoulder saying “Be a rockstar”. So you’re fighting between the two of them, sometimes," he added.
Akash Deep Impresses On Debut For India
India fast bowler Akash Deep, who made his debut with this Test, did not take much time to hit the right line and length and finished the day with 3 wickets. His spell handed India a massive advantage before England recovered to manage the total they eventually managed. Mohammed Siraj picked a couple of wickets in the final session while Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja got a wicket each. England won the toss and opted to bat first and wouldn't mind with where they are placed at the end of day 1.