“Nothing is straightforward in cricket. Maybe once you watch it on TV, it’s easy. But it’s not. you’ve got to use your brain and time the ball.”
Rohit Sharma uttered the above words in 2017 after he played a spectacular shot against Sri Lanka.
Though Rohit was talking about his effortless shots, the same implies to all the parts of the sport. a fraction of cricket which is usually ignored while talking about skills is running between the wickets. The part which looks the simplest on television often seems to be the foremost challenging portion of the sport and lots of players would give testimony to the very fact.
However, cricket has time and again proven that it is a cruel game and it penalizes a player once they lag during a portion of the sport. On various occasions, the players lose their complete attentiveness in between the wickets, which ends up in bizarre run-outs. These odd moments on a cricket field alright validate the utilization of the brain every second on a cricket field. Let’s take a glance at five such bizarre run-outs when players forgot to use their mind while running:
Virendra Sehwag vs Sri Lanka , 2007:
Virendra Sehwag was one of the foremost explosive batsmen of his time. However, his casual approach in between the wickets often attracted the critics. One such instance was highlighted in 2007 when India was facing Sri-Lanka within the series decider.
Sehwag looked set at 46 and was playing in his usual free-flowing style. He cut a bowl to third-man for one.
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Sehwag completed an outsized part of the run while jogging. However, he stopped when nearing the non-striker end and began a lengthy and casual walk. The Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara spotted a chance and threw the ball towards the bowler’s end. an immediate hit on the stumps and Sehwag was caught outside the crease. He was given out, and therefore the room didn’t look proud of his approach.
Mohammad Amir vs West Indies, 2016
Even though Mohammad Amir wasn’t known for his batting, this particular run-out was a result of complete ignorance. Pakistan was facing West Indies within the last game of the three-match series. Mohd Amir lofted the ball and assumed it to possess cleared the boundary for a six and stood within the middle of the pitch with non-striker Wahab Riaz.
However, an excellent effort from Roston Chase ensured that the ball couldn’t clear the boundary ropes. Chase threw the ball from deep to the bowler’s end, and Amir was caught off guard. On realizing the danger, he did dash but was eventually caught outside the crease.
Misbah Ul Haq vs India, 2007
The Pakistani players have produced some very bizarre run-outs, but this one from Misbah Ul Haq was plain unlucky. Pakistan was up against India for the second match game in Delhi.
Early into the second day, Misbah-Ul-Haq was batting on 82 when he sliced a delivery from Saurav Ganguly for one. Dinesh Karthik picked up the ball and attempted an immediate throw on the non-striker’s end. Misbah thought that the ball would hit him and hence jumped to avoid it, however in an unfortunate event the ball deflected after hitting his bat and uprooted the bails while Misbah was still within the air.
Azhar Ali vs Australia, 2018
The wicket of the Pakistani skipper might go down in history because of the most peculiar run-out ever. Pakistan had utterly dominated the primary match game and was piling misery on the Kangaroos within the second game also. Azhar Ali was looking in complete control and was batting at 64.
A thick edge from his bat made the ball race to the third man. However, the ball stopped just before the ropes. Though, in what might be assumed together of the foremost significant brain freeze moment in cricketing history, Azhar Ali and his partner Asad Safiq thought the ball to possess crossed the ropes. Both the batsmen huddled up within the middle of the pitch. Michell Starc casually ran to fetch the ball and threw it to Tim Paine who dislodged the bails.
What made the wicket even weirder was that while this was happening neither of Azhar Ali or Asad Safiq suspected anything. Azhar couldn’t believe it when he got out. Nevertheless, he earned a reputation for himself within the history books for his run-out.
George Bailey vs India, 2013
This run-out is different from all the opposite runs call at this list. Australia was chasing a towering total from India within the final game of the series. Bailey partnered with Adam Voges in what was arising to be a thriller of a match. Bailey was facing Vinay Kumar and pulled a ball to the deep, he completed the primary run during a hurry and called his partner for a second run also.
Bailey was worried that the non-striker wouldn’t be ready to complete the run and hence stopped midway to watch things on non-striker’s end. Though the non-striker was safe when the ball reached, Bailey was still stuck within the middle of the park contemplating the case. Vinay Kumar used his brain to the right extent and threw the ball to MS Dhoni on the striker’s end who dislodged the bails to seek out Bailey outside of his crease.
The wicket of Bailey proved too costly for the Australian side as Faulkner eventually ran out of partners.
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