Goofer of the Day: Run out mania
CarloMarx - 28 March 2001
Cricket is supposed to be a game of runs. At least that is
what all the pundits will tell you. Anyone looking at the
second one-day international between India and Australia at
the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Pune could be forgiven for
thinking that cricket was a game of run outs! The Indians,
with three run outs in their innings lost to Australia who had
only one run out.
The first victim of the disease of the day was Rahul Dravid.
Not the greatest of runners at the best of times, Dravid was
further flummoxed by some confusing calling from VVS Laxman.
14.3 Bracken to Laxman, no run, flicks it to mid wicket, Bevan
dives and gets the ball back to the bowler's end and Dravid is
way out as Laxman called him and sent him back, Laxman
involved in another horrible mix up.
VVS Laxman, no angel himself was the next to go, this time in
a tangle with Hemang Badani. The Tamil Nadu southpaw however
was less guilty in this case, calling clearly and decisively.
Laxman however, going through the best patch of form in his
life either did not hear the call or chose to ignore it.
Either way, it was Laxman who paid the price.
34.5 Fleming to Badani, no run, taps it to mid wicket and says
NO, Laxman went for the run and came back as Steve Waugh hits
it direct and Laxman is just out of the crease.
Dinesh Mongia has had to wait a long time before he could get
on the field sporting India colours. After a run of prolific
scoring in domestic cricket, Mongia finally got his chance in
the big league. What does the young man do? Run onto the field
in excitement and run off it double quick! Mongia heralded the
third run out of the day.
36.1 Fleming to Mongia, no run, taps it towards backward
point, Badani runs in very fast, Mongia not interested, but
sets off late on seeing the overthorw, but could not make it
in time.
Again Badani was hardly at fault, as it was his call, running
to the danger end. In any event Badani was already well home
when Mongia realised that his first essay under the sun was
over.
But you have to say one thing. Australia completely outplayed
India in all departments of the game. And that includes the
prize for goofy run out of the day.
Mark Waugh, batting ever so well was in the company of Darren
Lehmann, playing his first game on Indian soil this tour.
29.1 Harbhajan Singh to Lehmann, no run, cuts it to point, Yuvraj
Singh fields well there and gets the ball to the keeper in a
flash and the batsmen are stranded at the centre as Dahiya
takes the bails off. The third umpire is called for deciding
who is out, Lehmann walks away. The Indians appeal that Mark
Waugh is out as he crossed Lehmann but the 3rd umpire rules
Lehmann out.
That was a supreme comedy of errors. Both batsmen stranded
midpitch, bails off and no one knowing who was out! Television
replays from all the available angles suggested that Lehmann
had actually gone past Mark Waugh, making the New South
Welshman the closest to the end where the stumps were
disturbed. Surely that meant that Mark Waugh was out and not
Lehmann? The matter was referred to the third umpire. By the
time the man with the slow motion replays could make up his
mind Lehmann was in the cool confines of the pavilion. Had
Mark Waugh been ruled out, the comedy would have had a fitting
climax. That, unfortunately, did not happen.
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