DRS or no DRS. India’s top order bat Punam Raut, during day 2 of the pink ball Test between India and Australia at Queensland, has shown that apart from the umpires, the individual players can help in making the right decisions with respect to a batter being out or not out.
The 31-year old, after scoring a patient 36 off 165 balls, including a couple of boundaries, decided to walk off after being adjudged not out by umpire Phillip Gillespie. During the 81st over, which was bowled by left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, Raut was invited to play off her front foot by Molineux, who bowled a nicely tossed up delivery. Raut came forward to defend but on the way took the faintest of the edge for Alyssa Healy to make an appeal. It was not a loud appeal by the Aussies and the umpire was convinced that there was no edge involved, which led him to adjudge Raut not out. However, what happened next took everyone by surprise. Raut decided to walk off as she knew she had edged it. She received loud applause from the audience as well as teammates in the dug out for exhibiting great sportswoman’s spirit.
Given that this would be the only match that Raut would be featuring in, in this series, to walk off, was simply incredible. There were mixed reactions over social media with respect to Raut’s decision to walk off. While some hailed her in high regard, some expressed that she could have simply sided with the umpire, who had given her not out and continued to bat. In hindsight, one may feel that it would have been better for Raut to hang on and carry her innings forward, given that her place in the side is not 100% secure. On the other hand, if she would have stayed, there would have been talks of Raut not abiding by the spirit of cricket.
During her stay at the crease, she was involved in two partnerships. She joined hands with Smriti Mandhana to put together 102 runs for the second wicket and then a small partnership with her skipper Mithali Raj, which was of 22 runs.
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Umpire gave not-out, but Punam Raut walks away. #AUSvIND #PinkBallTest pic.twitter.com/JhEBhfAsee
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