Australia opener Aaron Finch was left with a couple of confusions in his mind after the conclusion of the opening T20I at Ranchi. The rain-curtailed game was reduced to just six overs in the second innings which meant that changes in the bowling quota were expected to be applied. The umpires decided to allow one bowler bowl two overs while rest of the four overs were divided into an over each.
The bowling side – Australia – who were defending 48 from six overs (reduced from 119 as per the DLS method) was not bright how the calculations worked which reflected the views of Finch in the post-match interview.
As a result of the rule, only Nathan Coulter – Nile could bowl two overs whereas Jason Behrendorff, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Daniel Christian bowl an over each.
The umpires chose to selectively implement the old rules and the new rules which were brought to effect after the start of the bilateral series on September 17 (on September 28).
The ICC Rule Says:
“According to the new playing conditions, if an innings in a T20 game is reduced to less than 10 overs, the maximum quota of overs per bowler shall not be less than two: meaning that if a match is reduced to six overs a side, as it was on Saturday, three bowlers would be able to bowl two overs each.”
“I didn’t know there was a review system until about the fifth over. Nobody did,” Finch said. “Steve Smith, when he ran out a drink, mentioned it. So we had to ask the umpires. But it is quite strange to have a crossover of rules for this series.”
“I mean bat sizes and things like that are coming in at the end of the series. The over situation with a shortened game … three bowlers being allowed to bowl two overs. But DRS was in for this. It didn’t have any effect on the game. I just thought it was quite odd to have mixed and matched the rules for this series.