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Afghanistan too could have dismissed KL Rahul early in the one-off Test in New Chandigarh had the Team India opener’s confident act not spoiled them. Despite the obvious noise, the Afghanistan camp survived the review and later had no option but to regret the decision.
on the first ball of 11th In the first over of the innings, Afghanistan’s fast bowler Ziaur Rehman Sharifi bowled a short length delivery on the off-line. Rahul jumped to play a powerful cut shot, but the ball went just behind the stumps.
Afghanistan missed a golden opportunity to dismiss KL Rahul early
Rahmanullah Gurbaz was confident that he had the lead. He tried his best to approach Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi to seek a review as the on-field umpire rejected the appeal. Sahidi and his boys had a long discussion before deciding not to waste the review in the early stages of the match. If the captain signals for review to the umpire, it will force KL Rahul to vacate the pitch.
Afsar Zazai, the Test wicketkeeper, was not sure whether there was any noise or not. Since the keeper had to make the best assessment of the situation, Hashmatullah Shahidi showed his trust in the wicketkeeper and let go of the opportunity to review the on-field umpire’s decision.
Rahul shook his head in disagreement
KL Rahul’s body language may also have influenced Shahidi’s decision. When the ball passed the bat without making any connection, Rahul was shaking his head. Former England spinner Graeme Swann, who was in the commentary box at the time, said that the Indian batsman deserved an Oscar for his brilliant acting skills.
“KL Rahul has played absolutely blind here, because the captain and the keeper looked at him and he nodded his head. And they believed him. He should be put up for an Oscar for his acting, KL Rahul. I salute you, sir. The Oscar has arrived,” Graeme Swann said on air.
He further said, “True batsmen never believe they are out despite evidence.”
Disappointment for Yashasvi Jaiswal
Rahul’s wicket could have been a huge blow for the Indian cricket team as they were already one player short. KL Rahul’s opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal lost his head in the early stages of the match. When India had 41 runs on the scoreboard, Jaiswal was out for only 24 runs.
It is a must-win match for the Shubman Gill-led side as the only Test is included in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. On paper, India is way ahead of Afghanistan and the hosts will try to improve their position in the table by securing a resounding win against them.
Winning the toss, Shubman Gill opted to bat first as it is expected to be very difficult to bat in the second half of the match due to the hot and humid conditions and the nature of the pitch, where spinners could play a vital role in deciding the outcome of the contest.
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