During the 3rd and final ODI of the series between England and India, an unexpected final-wicket drama in a tense chase sent shockwaves across the stadium and to all following as what transpired in the closing minutes of the game, rightly and simply hasn’t sat well with many.
England having won the toss opt to bowl first and for the majority of the innings had the play go by the script they would have desired as India were bowled out for 169. The in-form Indian side didn’t serve any easy and had the English trapped on the score of 118/9 in 35.2 overs. Charlie Dean and Freya Davies kept their side’s hopes alive as a gritty partnership between the two saw England closing on the required.
With 153 on board and 17 required for the win, the partnership between the pair was worth 35 runs that came to an abrupt end as Deepti Sharma followed an indication from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and ran out Charlie Dean on 47 on the non-strikers’ end that left her with tears, Indians overjoyed and the English crowd booing the Indians. The Deepti’s Mankad to Charlie Dean is termed a legal practice by the ICC, but it didn’t restrict reactions from raging in.
In Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Laws of Cricket, which the International Cricket Council (ICC) too have adopted reads, running out the non-striker is a legitimate dismissal. However, it was also called an unfair play in the books. It also has to be understood that last week the ICC made a few changes in the rules, which when comes into exercise from the 1st of October, will see the run-out dismissal will be removed from the unfair play section.
An ICC release read, “Running out of the non-striker: The Playing Conditions follow the Laws in moving this method of effecting a Run out from the ‘Unfair Play’ section to the ‘Run out’ section.”
Former English captain, Nasser Hussain was on air calling the game out, on the final-wicket happenings said, “It would be debated for a long time but it’s in the law of the games. It states that you can be run out. Remember it’s in the laws of the game.”
During the post-match interview, when Harmanpreet Kaur was asked about the Mankad, said, “It’s a part of the game. I don’t think we have done something new, you can always take those chances. It shows that you are aware about what the batters are doing. I will back my player because I don’t think she has done anything that isn’t in the ICC rules. Everything is part of the game. At the end of the day, a win is a win and you need to enjoy that.”
Michael Vaughan tweets his thoughts on Deepti Sharma’s run-out #ENGvIND #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/Fw4TcgZA1j
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) September 25, 2022
English skipper, Amy Jones when was asked on the same, replied, “The last dismissal divides opinion. I’m not a fan but it depends how India feel about it. It’s within the rules, hopefully, doesn’t take the shine off the summer. (Charlie Dean) She absorbed the pressure and knuckled down, not sure she was getting out any other way.”