Although initial replays indicated the ball missing the stumps, hawkeye showed otherwise.
The Indian bowlers put up a stellar display to put the hosts back in the driver’s seat on the first session of Day 4 of the ongoing IND vs ENG 2nd Test in Vizag. The final few overs before lunch made it entirely India’s session with five wickets falling on the fourth morning.
While Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow were in the middle, the visitors looked steady as Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin failed to find a way and break the partnership. Rohit Sharma then turned to Kuldeep Yadav at the stroke of lunch as one last shot at glory and it set off a nerve-wracking chain of events.
Kuldeep, in the last over of his spell before lunch, delivered a leg break halfway down the pitch from over the wicket. Crawley shifted his weight back into the crease attempting to whip the ball away from his legs. However, the ball unexpectedly kept a low trajectory and showed a hint of turn, ultimately thudding into the 26-year-old’s pad.
Review…..successful! ✅☝️
Kuldeep Yadav picks up the big wicket of Crawley to keep #TeamIndia in the driving seat 👊⚡️#BazBowled #IDFCFirstBankTestsSeries #JioCinemaSports#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/c4hMunPVSP
— JioCinema (@JioCinema) February 5, 2024
The Indian team immediately appealed but the umpire remained steadfast with his not-out decision. While Skipper Rohit Sharma appeared to support the umpire’s decision, Kuldeep persistently argued with his captain and with three seconds remaining on the clock, Rohit gave in with a frustrated expression.
Rohit’s dissatisfaction further grew after the initial replay suggested that the SG ball was veering with the turn, missing the leg stump. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Hawkeye revealed that the ball was hitting the leg stump, sparking unbridled excitement among the entire team.
That ball from Kuldeep to Crawley only turned 2°. The first replay is always slightly to the left of the wicket to wicket camera and gives the impression that it might slide towards leg. Turning point in the game
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 5, 2024
ALSO READ: Watch: Rohit Sharma takes catch of the match at slip to send back Ollie Pope
England and Crawley were left in shock as no one could anticipate ‘three reds’ when the replays hinted the ball could have turned away from the stumps. This will be a major turning point for the match as the hosts continue their fightback for a win at Vizag and level the series 1-1.
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