Video: Upul Tharanga Run-Out in an Unlucky Manner
Jul 27, 2017 at 6:17 PM
The no.1 Test team in the world, India continued their dominance in the opening Test at Galle against Sri Lanka and finished Day 2 in a commanding position.
After posting a mammoth 600 in the 1st innings, the bowlers responded splendidly and reduced the hosts to 154/5 when stumps were taken on Day 2. The hosts still require more than 250 runs to avoid the follow on and they have to bat out of their skin to get anywhere close to the target.
Debutant Hardik Pandya announced his arrival in the longest format of the game with a stroke filled half century which was laced with 5 fours and 3 sixes. Ravichandran Ashwin also provided a solid hand with a well composed 47 which enabled India to cross the 600 mark. Umesh Yadav gave the visitors the initial breakthrough when he induced a false shot from the blade of Dimuth Karunaratne.
There was a brief partnership between Upul Tharanga and Danushka Gunathilaka before Mohammed Shami returned for his 2nd spell and bagged a couple of wickets in the same over. Both Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis was caught in the slips as Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother losing 3 wickets in quick succession.
Former captain Angelo Mathews and Upul Tharanga looked good in the middle but it was sheer bad luck which cost Tharanga his wicket on 64. It was the final delivery of the 34th over bowled by Ashwin. Tharanga stepped down the crease and defended the ball. It went straight to the silly point fielder Abhinav Mukund and he gave it back to the keeper within a whisker.
Tharanga had reached his crease by then and the players were getting ready to play the next ball when to everyone’s surprise Tharanga was ruled out by the 3rd umpire. The reason was simple. Though Tharanga had crossed the line, his bat went up in the air when it touched the ground and at that very moment, Wriddhiman Saha dislodged the stumps. It was a lucky break for India which again put the hosts in a precarious situation.
Due to the luck factor, ICC has decided to get rid of this rule and new rules will be implied from October. According to the revised rules, a player will be given not out even if his bat goes up in the air after crossing the line.
Here is the video of the incident:
https://twitter.com/kishorVineet/status/890533248631152640