Elvis Presley inspired Ben Stokes has hailed his cricketing ‘rockstars’ for delivering four wins out of four as fans can’t help falling in love with his Test team.
Stokes watched the latest film about Elvis ahead of this game, but after overseeing England ’s highest ever run chase of 378-3 he was left marvelling at the wonder of Root. Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow put the Indian bowlers to the sword with twin tons and the former skipper had some fun with Stokes when he reached three figures with a pinkie celebration from the Elvis playbook.
“Ben’s mentioned trying to be rockstars on the field,” said Root. “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. 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.”
The way that Root and Bairstow finished off the job in double quick time suggests that they are listening very clearly to what Stokes is asking of them and the rest of the team, which is why things have moved so quickly over the past five weeks. And in the week that Eoin Morgan retired as an England captain, it is clear that his legacy is having far reaching consequences.
“I’m extremely proud,” Stokes said. “The last five weeks have been an incredible turnaround. The response from the team has just made it the most fun five weeks I’ve had in my career so far.
“You’re playing for England. You’re doing something that you did as a kid as a hobby and now you’re playing for your country. If this isn’t fun and you’re not enjoying every moment then you’re doing something wrong. Let’s go and get people to fall in love with Test cricket again.
“This is definitely like what Eoin Morgan tried to do with the one day team. Baz and Eoin are really good mates and I spent a lot of time under Eoin’s captaincy so I’ve taken a lot of his messaging and how he wanted the team to go forward and I’ve brought that into this one day setup…I mean Test setup. I’ve brought his mentality and his ethos into this Test environment and everyone has responded so well to it.”
