India’s hope turned into an absolute nightmare in a span of 13 overs as the dismissal of Rishabh Pant left the hosts on the verge of a 70-year low. Chasing a colossal 359 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, India did find themselves realising the improbable after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fiery start, but Mitchell Santner once again emerged as their wrecker-in-chief as the spinner snared two quick wickets after Lunch on Day 3 to leave India on the verge of a series defeat.
Pant, who has over the course of his career, emerged as a master of fourth-innings chases, was India’s last batting hope on Saturday after the successive dismissals of Shubman Gill and Jaiswal after Lunch. But the left-hander departed for a three-ball duck, thus becoming the third India batter to be dismissed run out for that score after Rahul Dravid (vs Pakistan, Lahore, 2004) and Cheteshwar Pujara (vs Australia, Dharamsala, 2017 and vs South Africa, Centurion, 2018).
It happened in the 23rd over of India’s final innings in Pune when Virat Kohli fended the length ball around off from Ajaz Patel towards backward point. He looked for a single immediately, but initially was sceptical, until he saw Pant almost at the halfway mark. But while Kohli completed the run, Santner comfortably collected the ball and threw it down to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, who inflicted the run out to get rid of Pant.
Replays showed that Pant, who did make a diving effort, was considerably far from the crease at the point of the dismissal and Kohli was left absolutely helpless with his expression perfectly summing up India’s nightmare.
Was Virat Kohli at fault?
Although the former India captain initially made the call, Murali Kartik, who was in the commentary box as the replays were shown of the dismissal, clarified that it was always the non-striker who made the final decision in such scenarios.
Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull, who was present alongside Kartik, added that the dismissal clearly showed “lack of awareness of where the fielder was placed.”
With Pant gone, India went four down for 128 runs in the 23rd over, having earlier lost Jaiswal in the previous over for 77 off 65 and Gill for 23 off 31 shortly after game resumed post Lunch break. En route, Santner completed a 10-wicket haul for the first time in his First-Class career.
