After enduring a spell of struggle during the ongoing India vs England Test series, Joe Root has come back to his usual. The England batter fortified his shoes on the ground when his side was deep in trouble on Day 1 of the 4th Test. In a precarious situation, Root backed his ability against both spin and pace and ended up shouldering his side from the adverse situation. Root completed his 31st Test ton in the process and celebrated in a way that sent fans dwelling over.

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India vs England: Joe Root channelises pre-Bazball approach

Joe Root cut a distraught figure when his unorthodox stroke went straight into the hands of Rohit Sharma during the 3rd Test. Following, the miserable end to the innings in Rajkot, Root suffered trolling from the fans and flak from many experts. However, the Fab 4 member has made an impactful comeback. On Day 1 of the 4th India vs England Test, Root channelled his pre-bazball approach and amassed a well-compiled hundred in front of the Ranchi crowd. Courtesy of his hundred, England have attained the mark of 302/7 at stumps on Day 1.

Upon reaching his hundred, Root showcased a calm figure and displayed his pinky finger to his captain Ben Stokes. Stokes also exhibited the same from the dressing facility. The fans who witnessed it wondered what the celebration was all about.

In the second Test, the England captain made a similar signal after he dismissed Shreyas Iyer. So, was that a swipe at Iyer again, who isn't even a part of the match? Turns out it is not the case.

Also Read | Rohit Sharma praises emerging talent for shouldering responsibilities

India vs England: Where did the Pinky celebration originate?

The pair performed a similar act in 2022 as well during the Edgbaston Test against India, where England chased down a record-setting score of 378.

The celebration is thought to be inspired by the iconic entertainer Elvis Presley. Austin Buttler played the lead in a Hollywood film about the world-famous singer and composer. The pinky finger gesture was a recurring theme in the film, which influenced Stokes' and Root's celebrations at Edgbaston and now Ranchi.

“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 the series-saving Edgbaston ton.

“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.

While the celebration contains happy memories for England, ironically when it came the last time, England were trailing 2-1 in the series. Thus, is history going to repeat itself, or will Team India write a different script this time?