On Day 3 of the ongoing first Test between India and England at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara lost his wicket in an unusual manner.
It all happened in the 51st over of India’s innings, when Pujara got a half-pitched delivery from Dominic Bess. The right-handed batsman rocked onto his backfoot and connected a pull shot. However, the ball ricocheted off Ollie Pope’s shoulder, who was stationed at short leg and jumped straight into Rory Burns’s hands.
On-air commentator Nick Knight termed it as the most ‘unluckiest’ of dismissals.
“The most unluckiest of dismissals, via the body of Ollie Pope and it, just hung in the air, Rory Burns with a simple catch and it’s the last thing India needed. They worked so hard to get back into this game and a moment of luck for England and Dom Bess,” said Knight.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) reckoned the mode of Pujara’s dismissal as ‘unusual’.
“Pujara falls! An unusual dismissal, Pujara’s pull shot rebounding off the short leg fielder straight to Burns at short mid-wicket Astonished face India’s No.3 walks back for 73,” tweeted ICC.
Pujara falls!
An unusual dismissal, Pujara's pull shot rebounding off the short leg fielder straight to Burns at short mid-wicket 😲
India's No.3 walks back for 73.#INDvENG | https://t.co/gnj5x4GOos pic.twitter.com/K4ZpwCohTt
— ICC (@ICC) February 7, 2021
Here’s the video:
https://twitter.com/ChloeAmandaB/status/1358363095509307392
At the end of day’s play, India have posted 257/6 on the board in reply of England’s 578. At one stage, India struggled for 73/4, but then Pujara and Rishabh Pant steadied the ship and formed a vital 119-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Both Pujara and Pant smashed half-centuries. While Pujara scored 73 runs off 143 balls, Pant contributed with 91 runs from 88 deliveries. The wicketkeeper-batsman missed out on a hundred by just nine runs. He slammed nine fours and five maximums.
Bess removed both Pujara and Pant to hollow India’s crucial recovery.
Earlier in the day, England added 23 runs to their overnight score of 555/8 before being bundled out on 578 in their first innings.
Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin picked up three wickets each while Ishant Sharma and Shahbaz Nadeem bagged two scalps apiece for the home team.
