World Cup 2023 [WATCH]: Mitchell Starc warns Kusal Perera for stepping out of his crease in the AUS vs SL game

In a high-stakes matchup of the ODI World Cup 2023, Australia and Sri Lanka are squaring off in a crucial encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Both teams are seeking a much-needed victory after facing consecutive defeats in their previous two games.

The Australians entered this contest with two losses against India and South Africa, while Sri Lanka, known as the Islanders, also found themselves in a similar predicament, having succumbed to the Proteas and Pakistan.

Starc’s warning to Perera

During the closely watched clash, an intriguing incident unfolded that caught the attention of cricket fans around the world. Mitchell Starc, the seasoned Australian pacer, paused in his run-up on two separate occasions to warn Sri Lanka’s opener, Kusal Perera, for venturing out of the non-striker’s crease before the delivery.

The first instance occurred on the third ball of the opening over, with Starc preparing to bowl. The left-armer astutely observed Perera backing up before he had even completed his action. Visuals from the delivery confirmed that Perera was significantly out of his crease at the non-striker’s end before Starc had even released the ball.

Recognizing this, Starc halted his run-up to alert Perera about his transgression. He also notified the umpire about the situation, opting not to execute a run-out.

Starc didn’t let the matter rest and attempted to emphasize the warning to Perera once again, this time during the 5th over of the game. Starc paused in his run-up, just before delivering the final ball of the over. However, this time, Perera was positioned well within the crease at the non-striker’s end, avoiding any further complications.

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Here is the video:

Meanwhile, after 30 overs, Sri Lanka reached 166 with the loss of 4 wickets. Openers Pathum Nissanka and Perera added 125 for the first wicket with both batters smashing their respective half-centuries. But then Sri Lanka faced a sudden collapse and lost four wickets in quick successions.

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