Rahane called back by Assam after being given out obstructing the field

Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane was given out obstructing the field for the first time in his 16-year professional career, before he was dramatically called back to bat because the opposition, Assam, withdrew the appeal in the last league game of the Ranji Trophy at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in Mumbai.

Rahane was batting on 18 with Mumbai on 102 for 4 in the last over before the scheduled tea break, when he drove his 52nd delivery, from Assam fast bowler and debutant Dibakar Johri, to mid-on and took off for a single. But by the time his batting partner Shivam Dube denied the single and sent Rahane back, Assam captain Denish Das fired in a throw at the keeper's end and hit Rahane who was trying to get back to the crease.

The Assam players went up in an appeal immediately for "obstructing the field" and Rahane was given out by the on-field umpire on the fourth ball of the 25th over. Tea was taken two balls early with Mumbai 102 for 5 in reply to Assam's 84 all out.

However, Assam decided to withdraw the appeal during the tea break and told the umpires as much. As per the laws, the appeal for a dismissal needs to be withdrawn before the next ball is bowled and has to be accepted by the umpires for the batter to be recalled. Luckily for Rahane, there was a break in play after his temporary dismissal and both teams were back in the dressing room. The withdrawal of the appeal was accepted by the umpires and Rahane walked out to bat again about 20 minutes later.

Shardul Thakur later said Rahane was reluctant to bat again "because his ethics didn't allow him," but also explained what he saw on the replays in the dressing room, which could have led to the withdrawal of the appeal.

"We were playing the video [in the dressing room] and all we saw was he turned and he was running in a straight line," Thakur said after the day's play. "So at no point he changed his direction. The only direction that was changed was when he took that turn and after that he didn't change his direction looking at the ball and he wasn't trying to obstruct the field. But yes umpires felt that he could be given out since the throw was aimed at the stumps but I think the Assam coach also saw the video and he didn't feel Rahane had done it purposely and obstructed the throw."

Thakur emphasised that Rahane had not changed his direction while running because as per Law 37.1, as stated by the MCC, "Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, except in the circumstances of 37.2, and while the ball is in play, he/she wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action." Law 37.2 further states: "A batter shall not be out Obstructing the field if the obstruction or distraction is accidental, or the obstruction is in order to avoid injury…"

Thakur further said the Assam coach Trevor Gonsalves walked up to the Mumbai dressing room during the tea break to "apologise" for the appeal and asked Rahane to resume batting after the break.

"They wanted to withdraw the appeal and since it was tea time, they couldn't convey it immediately but their coach walked up to us and he said, 'we apologise for the appeal because it was in the heat of the moment and we want to withdraw the appeal.' He conveyed the same thing to the umpires also and probably it was mutually agreed that Rahane would go on to bat. But Ajinkya was not keen on going back again because he said once he's given out, it's out. But we convinced him that if it's not out then you can go and bat again and if you do that, it'll be for the team. His ethics didn't allow him to do that but for the team it was needed that he goes back again and bats."

Rahane padded up again and went out with Dube but couldn't capitalise on his luck and was bowled by the same bowler four overs after the tea break. He survived only 17 more deliveries and was eventually sent back for 22 off 69 balls.

Rahane had earlier struck three fours in his innings - two through the covers and one wide of mid-on - and was reviving Mumbai's innings with Dube after they were 60 for 4 in the 16th over. Their partnership was worth 50 off 77 deliveries, including 16 runs from Rahane, 30 from Dube and four extras.

Rahane has so far had an unimpressive Ranji season with just 112 runs from eight innings at an average of 16.00. He had missed two league games with injuries when the team was led by Shams Mulani against Bihar and by Dube against Bengal.

Assam were earlier bowled out in just 32.1 overs as Shardul Thakur, who returned from a niggle in the last round, ran through the visitors with figures of 6 for 21 from 10.1 overs after Mumbai had opted to bowl.

It was Thakur's first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket in two years and he was playing only his second Ranji game of the season after recovering from an ankle niggle that had kept him out of action for a few weeks. He said he was now back to full fitness and ready to bowl as many overs as required in a day.

"All I tried to do was pitch in the right areas and once we got a couple of wickets, the whole idea was to take four to five wickets before lunch time," he said. "We weren't targeting them to take all 10 wickets but the whole idea was to take as many wickets we could and if we could take five wickets in a session that would be brilliant. Shams also chipping in after my spell, he got those two wickets, and the last three or four wickets were the icing on the cake.

Mumbai are currently leading the Group B table with 30 points after four wins, one draw and a loss from six games and have already qualified for the quarter-finals.