Despite being behind 1-2 in the ongoing five-match series against India, England supporters have been actively showing their presence in the country. The Barmy Army, recognized as the official fanbase of the England cricket team, has been unwavering in their support, standing by their team through thick and thin during the series.
Despite England’s initial victory in Hyderabad, subsequent defeats in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot didn’t deter the fervor of the Barmy Army, who continued to cheer passionately for their team. Engaging in friendly banter with Indian fans, the Barmy Army showcased their unwavering support, epitomizing the essence of sportsmanship.
A notable moment occurred during Day 1 of the fourth Test match in Ranchi when a member of the Barmy Army delighted spectators by playing the title track of the Bollywood film ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ on the saxophone. The heartwarming incident was captured and shared by the Barmy Army on their official social media platform.
What a beautiful story ❤️🏏 pic.twitter.com/d2ZuKMqw4y
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) February 25, 2024
The first day of the Test match witnessed a commendable performance from the English side, largely due to Joe Root’s stellar batting display, as he scored an unbeaten century. Despite facing a challenging situation with England at 112 for 5 at lunch, Root’s resilient innings of 106 not out guided England to a respectable total of 302 for 7 by the end of the day’s play at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi.
Zak Crawley, the England opener, expressed that Root’s century was well-deserved and praised it as a “phenomenal” innings considering the circumstances of the game.
Crawley said: “He (Root) is unbelievable. We fully expected him to get a good score at some point in this series; he was due, he’s the best player we’ve ever had and he played phenomenally today,” said Crawley after the day’s play.
“He deserves everything he gets, he works so hard at his game and he always comes good.” Root was in the middle of a lean patch and his highest score before Friday’s knock in this series was 37.”
“He’s probably the only bloke in our team who could have done that knock; he’s that good, he’s our best player and he’s stepped up when we needed him to.
“We needed him to get a score and he got a score like he’s done for so many years now, he’s a phenomenal player.”
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