When England skipper Joe Root introduced the ‘mic drop’ to the cricket world during his series-winning knock in the third and final ODI against India a fortnight ago, little did he know the gesture would soon come back to haunt him.
As a signal, the ‘mic drop’ intentionally dropping the microphone after a performance or speech is considered a boastful attitude to silence naysayers. American comedians Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock often dropped it mics to make strong statements and former US president Barack Obama made it more famous when he signed off in style during his final White House correspondents’ dinner. Root enacted it with his willow after completing his century.
Root, who had called the celebration gesture the most embarrassing thing he had ever done on the cricket field, tasted his own medicine on the opening day of the first Test against India at Edgbaston. And not surprisingly, it was Virat Kohli who gave it back to his English counterpart.
After effecting a spectacular run out to dismiss Root, an animated Kohli celebrated emphatically by blowing kisses and mocked the batsman with the ‘mic drop’.
Some swear words, too, were heard. Root’s departure triggered a mini-collapse as India hit back strongly. This was a key moment in the first Test, probably its biggest turning point on day 1.
There is an improved relationship between international players because of time spent in the IPL but Kohli has given enough indications that he would maul anyone who comes his way. He is more and more in that of mood these days.
There are, however, efforts from the English camp to also play down the incident. “Everybody is entitled to celebrate how they want to. That’s how he celebrated and that’s cool,” said England opener Keaton Jennings after the day’s play.
Root admitted he “would not hear the end of it. He said his own team-mates had been ribbing him incessantly for the gesture. Kohli has taken that prediction and run with it. “I didn’t see it in the middle,” Root said. “I obviously saw it last night at the end of play. “I actually think it adds to the whole spectacle of Test cricket, it gives a bit of humour to it, and it makes for a very entertaining series for something like that to happen so early on, so we’ll see how things pan out over the course of the five Test matches.”
