The ongoing second Test match between India and England in Visakhapatnam witnessed an intriguing moment at the end of Day 1, as star Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin engaged in a heated discussion with on-field umpire Marais Erasmus. The incident occurred as players from both teams were about to shake hands at the close of play, raising questions about what might have transpired between the two.
Ashwin, who came in to bat just before stumps after India lost their sixth wicket, faced four deliveries in the penultimate over of the day by Shoaib Bashir, scoring one run. He then had to take the strike in the last over, facing Rehan Ahmed, and managed to score a boundary on the second last ball of the day before defending the last ball.
Despite his brief innings, Ashwin appeared to be in a less-than-jovial mood as he exchanged words with umpire Marais Erasmus. The exact reason behind Ashwin’s apparent annoyance is not known, but it is speculated that it could be related to the extended play during the last session of the day.
The day’s play had already seen the completion of the expected 90 overs before the cutoff time, yet the umpire chose to continue play until the scheduled time of 4:30 pm. India’s loss of a wicket in the 91st over meant that Ashwin had to bat for the last two overs of the day, a situation that most batsmen do not prefer. This could have been a contributing factor to Ashwin’s irritation.
Debutant Rajat Patidar, when asked about the incident in an interaction with the broadcaster after stumps, expressed his lack of knowledge regarding the details of Ashwin’s conversation with the umpire.
“I don’t know what the conversation was about,” said Patidar.
Despite Ashwin’s apparent frustration, India finished Day 1 on a positive note, posting a total of 336/6. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the standout performer for India with an impressive unbeaten knock of 179* (257), supported by Shubman Gill, who scored 34 runs.
The incident has sparked curiosity among cricket enthusiasts, with many eager to learn more about the exchange between Ashwin and the umpire. As the series unfolds, fans can expect more drama and intense cricketing action on the field.
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