Joe Root completed his 31st century in Test cricket, putting England back on track on an eventful opening day of the Ranchi Test against India. When he reached three figures, skipper Ben Stokes’ brought out an animated celebration from the dressing room.

Root’s tenth Test century against India headlined England’s innings on the first day, playing at a more conventional strike rate than he has through the series. At one point, the tourists were 112-5, but Root’s century carried them to 302-7 at stumps.

As Root reached three figures, driving debutant Akash Deep through the covers for four, the England dressing room went up in celebration, led by Stokes, who looked visibly more excited than usual. He yelled and exulted in happiness, even as Root took a more subdued route, kissing the emblem on his helmet and raising his bat.

The Elvis celebration

Stokes and Root were then seen doing a mutual celebration with half-furled little fingers. It wasn’t the first time the two unfurled the pinkie celebration: it first originated in 2022, when Root hit a century against the same opposition in Edgbaston. Root had then revealed that the celebration was inspired by Elvis Presley, the great American actor and musician, and that Stokes had asked the team to play like “rockstars’, having watched the 2022 movie Elvis, a biographical drama on the late star.

“Ben’s mentioned trying to be rockstars on the field,” Root said back in 2022. “So it’s about trying to have fun and really relish every opportunity and put on a show for everyone.

“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,” he said. “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.

“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.”

[caption id=”attachment_605180″ align=”alignnone” width=”1200″]Presley pinky finger pose Actor Austin Butler playing Elvis in the 2022 movie[/caption]

For movie aficionados, the Elvis movie seen Stokes and Root were inspired by shows Presley being asked by a judge to tone down his trademark steps on the stage, even being threatened jail time. In a gesture of defiance, he puts his hand up and wiggles his little finger.

At stumps, Root was unbeaten on 106, with Ollie Robinson giving him able company on 31 off 60.

Related tags:

EnglandIndia Ben StokesJoe Root2023-2025 World Test ChampionshipEngland cricket newsIndia cricket newsIndia v EnglandMatch CoverageSeries Editorial