Who is the only batsman to be dismissed for both handling the ball and obstructing the field in one-day internationals? (08 February 2002)

Of the various modes of getting out, handling the ball and obstructing the field are two of the rarer methods of being dismissed, and it is a dubious honour to fall victim to either of the two ways. One batsman, however, has been dismissed for both handling the ball and obstructing the field in one-day internationals - a truly unwanted distinction.

The first of those incidents occurred in the second World Series final at Melbourne in 1986. Having lost the first final, India needed to beat Australia to take the contest to a third match. Batting first, India got off to a decent enough start, but the slide began with Mohinder Amarnath's dismissal. Coming in at number three, Amarnath made 15 off 32 balls before being given out handling the ball in an attempt to save his wicket. India went on to slide to a seven-wicket loss despite the best efforts of Dilip Vengsarkar and Ravi Shastri, losing the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup in the process.

India had better luck with the game when Amarnath was dismissed for obstructing the field. Putting up a fine stand with Navjot Singh Sidhu for the third wicket against Sri Lanka in the Nehru Cup in 1989, Amarnath looked good at 28 off 39 balls to take India to a large score. But when he kicked the ball out of the Sri Lankan bowler's reach to avoid being run out, umpire Khizer Hayat upheld Arjuna Ranatunga's appeal and gave Amarnath out for obstructing the field.

Sidhu's innings of 80, however, was enough to take India to 227 before Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar took three wickets each to bowl Sri Lanka out for 221, giving the hosts a six-run win. But the match will be more remembered for Amarnath's odd double of being the only batsman to get out in two of the most uncommon methods existing in one-day cricket.

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