One moment that highlighted speciality was that of Virat Kohli’s direct hit to get Joe Root dismissed on Day One of the First Test match at Edgbaston.
Up till then, the English duo of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow looked set and determined. Post the dismissal, came Kohli’s mic-drop celebration that could cause a spark for the remainder of the series.
The duo not only defended what India had to offer by coming on the front foot, they also scored some crucial runs in the process. And at 216/3, it looked all demeaning for India. But then came in Kohli’s throw that changed the perplexion of the game and the day.
Test matches always have these moments of brilliance and at times some celebrations that catch the eye. Kohli had both, but his gesture had nothing that threatened to take any shine from the game.
An aggressive player like him just pumps up the scenario at times with a lot of blood rushing through the head. One feels there will be plenty of stuff going on.
And why not?
It adds to the whole drama of the series.
Coming to the dismissal, both batsmen wanted a second. It may well have been two to most other fielders. But here the issue was Kohli and he often has a hand of gold.
The way Kohli marshals his team leaves someone in no doubt that he is the man in charge. He knows what he is up to.
Kohli’s gesture towards Root
The Indian skipper was alert on the field and did not allow Jonny Bairstow and Root to steal a second run off Ravichandran Ashwin.
He ran quickly to pick the ball up and threw it directly at the stumps in one swift motion. Then the 29-year-old blew kisses to both Root and Bairstow and then put his fingers on his lips, suggesting the fans to keep quiet.
The mic-drop gesture followed. It is sometimes unusual to see one captain give his opposite number a send-off, but here Kohli celebrated in a manner especially after pulling off heroics on the field. There is no wave of negativity here, but a cheeky banter on the other hand. It will only add to the flavour to this Test series.
On this occasion, he also left Root with yet another fifty that has not been turned into a hundred. It was his 10th Test in a row where he failed to get to three figures. Kohli must have known how dangerous a settled Root can be and the excitement was telling.
Why the mic-drop reaction?
The celebration by Kohli was even more dramatic as England were comfortable at 216/3 on Day One at that stage and the duo had added a century-run stand together. India was desperate for a wicket and Kohli’s magical moment helped them get the breakthrough.
The mic-drop celebration was in relation to Root doing the same following his century in the 3rd ODI against India last month. Root did the mic-drop gesture while scoring his second successive century in the ODIs which ensured England victory in the series by a 2-1 margin.
The English skipper dropped his bat in the manner of a singer dropping a microphone at the end of a performance. Post that, Root had gone on to claim that it was the most embarrassing thing he had done and it was something he instantly regretted.
Jennings, Root react to Kohli’s gesture
The celebration garnered a lot of excitement on social media site Twitter. England opening batsman Keaton Jennings, who appeared for the post-match press conference on Wednesday, stated that the gesture was cool. “Everybody is entitled to celebrate how they want to. He celebrated, and that’s cool.”
It looked like Kohli observed Root’s gesture earlier and hit back at the same in his own style. Then it was Root’s turn and as per a report in BBC, the star batsman stated that the gesture will add to the theatre of the game and that it was pretty entertaining.
“It adds to the theatre of the game. It makes entertaining cricket for everyone to watch, which is exactly what you want in Test cricket.” This was a brilliant reaction from the 27-year-old Root, who showed his lighter side and didn’t take things seriously.
Few instances where Kohli went aggressive
Kohli is known for his aggressive brand of cricket and has the knack of giving send-offs to players. Even Sourav Ganguly, who as considered as an aggressive breed of a player, had stated earlier that Kohli is twice more aggressive.
Against South Africa earlier this year, the Indian skipper was fined by the ICC for throwing the ball into the ground in an aggressive manner. Against England in 2016, he was seen saying something to Ben Stokes following his dismissal but escaped warning by the ICC.