Controversial Dismissal of Chamari Athapaththu leaves Alyssa Healy puzzled

Jon Lewis, the head coach of UP Warriorz, expressed his frustration over the dismissal of Chamari Athapaththu, deeming it a pivotal moment in their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 4.

Athapaththu’s dismissal occurred when she attempted a sweep shot off Georgia Wareham and was hit on the pads. While the  on-field umpire, Vrinda Rathi, initially declared it not out, RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana opted for a review. The ball tracking revealed it was heading straight, hitting the middle stump, contrary to the on-field decision. This left UP Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy in disbelief, and the RCB players were equally surprised.

The dismissal, coming after Athapaththu had scored two boundaries in her previous deliveries, reduced UP Warriorz to 63 for 2 while chasing a target of 199. Lewis acknowledged that the decision made through technology was perplexing, stating, “It was a fascinating dismissal and a massive turning point for us in that game.”

Jon Lewis elaborated stating, “You watch the ball with the naked eye, and you think it might pitch in line, just maybe. Then you look at the ball rotating, and well, it’s rotating like a legspinner. There are not many legspinners that go towards that [other] side. It was a fascinating dismissal and a massive turning point for us in that game.”

Lewis believed that if Chamari Athapaththu had stayed longer, her partnership with Healy could have exploited the ground dimensions. However, UP Warriorz fell short by 23 runs in their chase, becoming the first team to lose twice while chasing in WPL 2024. With only two wins in five games, they currently occupy the fourth position on the points table after the Bengaluru leg of the tournament.

Also Read:  "I always want to see myself on the top," says Deepti Sharma

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