India Vs England is an ongoing romance and will continue to stay so, because whenever we have seen the two teams clash on field, there has always been a hint of drama.
India is touring England, and after the T20 and ODI series, the Test series has started. India was playing it’s first test on 1st August at Edgbaston when the Virat Kohli vs Joe Root saga started.
England were 216 for three on the opening day when Virat Kohli’s very athletic and genius direct throw sent the rival captain, Joe Root back to the pavilion at 80 runs.
Now, what made this run out special was Kohli’s very specific send-off.
Root after he had scored a ton had deliberately dropped his bat in celebration after sealing England’s ODI series win.
And boy, did that “bat-drop” came back to haunt Root!
Kohli celebrated Root’s run out by blowing kisses to both the batsmen, holding his finger to his lips, shushing the two and then finally mimicked the mic drop and swore.
Classic Kohli. No surprises here.
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What The Fans, Critics and Contemporaries Had To Say
Kohli has always received flak for being excessively expressive and arrogant on the field and this mic drop incident just added fuel to the fire.
While Indian fans are defending Kohli by saying Joe Root started it, English fans didn’t quite like it because they didn’t spare a moment before they began calling Kohli out on his arrogance.
Surprisingly, Joe Root himself found Kohli’s celebration hilarious.
“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.”
– Root said.
Why I Feel Calling Kohli Arrogant Is Not Justified
Critics and some fans feel that this gesture on Kohli’s behalf was uncalled for and they are arguing that it only proves that Kohli is too insecure and is still butthurt over the ODI series defeat.
Given England’s history on and off the field it’s frankly speaking, quite ironic & moronic when English fans call Kohli arrogant.
I won’t be surprised if these guys will end up learning hindi by end of it just to satisfy their obsession with Kohli.
Kohli is a passionate player who likes to hit back with both his bat and heated words. Why are we calling world’s best ODI batsman insecure and arrogant just because he indulged in some banter on the field?
Why Kohli’s Mic Drop Celebration Should Be Taken In Good Spirit
Cricket isn’t just about centuries and wickets. What makes cricket so entertaining and beautiful is its onfield rivalries.
With Test cricket already struggling with popularity I think we need a little bit of such stuff to revive Test cricket. Send offs, banters, getting verbal with the opposition just reminds you of the old cricket days when Dada took off his jersey and started waving it over his head at the Lord’s.
I am not lying when I say this but I absolutely loved Root’s bat drop celebration too! There was no disrespect to the bat or to the opposition. It was just a young, talented, happy player celebrating his century.
Cricket purists can take a back seat, and chill, because for me Kohli’s “mic drop, f*ck off” is clearly one of the best, all-time great cricket moments.
It was magnificent, badass and a truly befitting reply to everyone who takes the Indian cricket team lightly.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Firstpost, NDTV, BBC Sports
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