Feature

Warner swims at the MCG

Plays of the Day from the first ODI of the CB series, between India and Australia at the MCG

David Warner is getting it back from R Vinay Kumar in limited-overs cricket  •  Getty Images

David Warner is getting it back from R Vinay Kumar in limited-overs cricket  •  Getty Images

The dive
In the third over of the Indian innings, Gautam Gambhir drove superbly, but David Warner put in a better dive at cover to save the boundary. However, the ball slipped out and kept going further away. Warner began swimming on the ground to try to keep the ball in his control. He couldn't stop the single, but his attempt brought out smiles on the other Australian fielders' faces.
The overthrows…
Not. In the second over of the game, Suresh Raina fielded one at cover, ran in towards the stumps, assumed the ball was dead and lobbed it towards mid-on, who was caught napping. Matthew Wade thought of taking the overthrows but stopped, only to see David Warner run towards him. The two went ahead for two overthrows even as India protested. The umpire agreed, and took away the runs. It would have been interesting, though, if there had been a run-out attempt involved.
The continuing redemption
R Vinay Kumar continues to get Warner out. On his debut, Vinay was demolished by Warner. Since then, though, Vinay has taken Warner out in one Twenty20 and today's ODI. Vinay to Warner in Tests: 36 balls, 43 runs, no wicket. In ODIs: eight balls, two runs, one wicket; in T20Is: six balls, 11 runs, one wicket.
The miscalculation
With the game reduced to 32 overs, the bowling restrictions were changed to a maximum of seven overs for two bowlers. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that Praveen Kumar and Vinay had already bowled seven each when Rahul Sharma came on to bowl the 32nd over. Two balls later the umpires realised it was Rahul's seventh too, and had to call MS Dhoni for a conversation before taking the ball away.
The adjustment
Australia had their innings interrupted during the 11th over, and came back to end up with 5 for 216. During the break computers and calculators got into action to arrive at the D/L target for India. And in a near-unique instance, they came up with a target of… 217. New cricket fans would have wondered what the fuss was all about.

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo