The third Test match between India and England has been showing its flavor since day 1. The match is turning out to be eventful in every session. On day 2, veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin completed his 500 Test wickets. This was an unbelievable record. Even before playing 100 Test matches, Ashwin has achieved the milestone. When everyone was praising him former England skipper Aleister Cook took a sarcastic jab at Ashwin.
What Happened at the Match?
During the 104th over of India’s innings, Ashwin pushed a delivery from Rehan Ahmed toward the off-side and set off for a run. However, he was unaware that his initial strides had landed squarely on the pitch’s center, a violation of cricketing norms. Umpire Joel Wilson promptly intervened, signaling the breach. As this marked the second instance of an Indian batsman transgressing in the same manner, India incurred a penalty.
Interestingly, instead of deducting the penalty from India’s total, the runs were added to England’s tally. This decision meant that when England began their innings, they were already 5/0 up, courtesy of the penalty runs awarded. This incident underscored the importance of respecting the integrity of the pitch, as any damage or interference can impact the game’s fairness. Consequently, umpires are vigilant in enforcing rules to uphold the sanctity of the playing surface, ensuring a level playing field for both teams.
Aleister Cook’s Sarcastic Jab:
Aleister Cook believes there was no accident in Ashwin’s actions. He suggests it was a deliberate strategy by Ashwin to contribute to the wear and tear of the pitch. This tactic, according to Cook, was aimed at creating rough patches that Ashwin could exploit later when he bowled.
Cook said, “Is it deliberate? Yes, it is. It’s a tactical ploy that you can disturb the middle of the wicket because Ashwin as much as help [as possible] when he bowls. That was gamesmanship there, wasn’t it?”
After putting a giant total on the board, India came to bowl. After losing the first wicket, England bounced back. Ben Duckett scored an amazing century and was making a partnership with Ollie Pope. Mohammed Siraj broke the partnership by dismissing Ollie Pope. then Root Joined him. After day 2, Duckett returned to the pavilion being unbeaten on 133 runs in 118 balls and Root is unbeaten on 9 runs. They are trailed by 238 runs.
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