Many cricket fans were shocked after watching Australian cricketer Travis Head’s ungli celebration of Rishabh Pant’s dismissal on the fifth day of the Melbourne Test. An Australian commentator finally revealed the meaning of that celebration.

It was an important Test match of the series, where the hosts Australia have taken a 2-1 series lead by winning the Melbourne Test by 184 runs. Sydney will host the last Test of the five-match Test series, where the visitors India can only draw the series. 

The hosts Australia set a challenging 340-run target for the visitors India in the fourth innings of the Melbourne Test. India lost their first three wickets quickly as they were struggling at 33/3. Later, the opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and the wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant took the responsibility in the fourth innings. 

Travis Head dismissed Rishabh Pant

Jaiswal and Pant's partnership spent more than 30 overs as they had an 88-run partnership for the fourth wicket. While the Australian captain Pat Cummins tried his luck with the part-time off-spinner Travis Head, it worked as Pant was out in Head’s over after his big shot found Mitchell Marsh at long-on. After taking that wicket, Head made a surprising celebration where his right hand’s index finger went to the other hand’s circle made by the fingers. 

Travis Head gets Rishabh Pant and pulls out a unique celebration 👀#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/EVvcmaiFv7

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 30, 2024

'I had to put the digit on ice'

Former Australian cricketer and Channel 7’s commentator, James Brayshaw, later revealed the meaning of that celebration. He said, "Now, great people in the back have said after he took 4/10 within 17 balls in Sri Lanka in 2022 he was quoted as saying, 'I had to put the digit on ice'. So that was the celebration. He said 'I just got him and I'm putting it back on ice'."

During the 2022 Galle Test, Head recorded his best Test bowling figures of 2.5-0-10-4, as Sri Lanka were bundled out for only 113 runs in their second innings and Australia won by 10 wickets. 

Coming back to the Melbourne Test, Rishabh Pant's dismissal triggered the Indian batting collapse in the fourth innings of the Test match as India were bundled out for only 155 runs, while once battling on 121/7.