Feature

An irate Rayudu and Soumya's 'leg-cricket'

Plays of the day from the third ODI between Bangladesh and India in Mirpur

Alagappan Muthu and Mohammad Isam in Mirpur
24-Jun-2015
Ambati Rayudu was irate with umpire Enamul Haque's decision to give him out lbw  •  AFP

Ambati Rayudu was irate with umpire Enamul Haque's decision to give him out lbw  •  AFP

The sledge
Shikhar Dhawan played away from his body to a Mashrafe Mortaza delivery in the fourth over and was beaten. Everyone appealed, but for the wicketkeeper Litton Das. He simply collected the ball and watched Mashrafe appeal until he passed the batsmen on his follow through. Mashrafe's frustration did not end there and he went on to seemingly sledge his own team-mate. He was seen asking Litton to appeal but with no visible degree of kindness.
The chance
It isn't nice slipping into the bad books of the captain, and less so when you are a newcomer. Litton would have wanted the chance to make amends and he got it in the 15th over. Shikhar Dhawan got low to play a fine reverse sweep, Litton anticipated the shot and scurried to his left, gloves ready to catch the ball if it was hit in the air. Dhawan failed to keep his shot down, but the ball just didn't stick.
The howler
Ambati Rayudu's attempt to scoop Mashrafe past Litton was ungainly, but umpire Enamul Haque gave the batsman caught behind after a loud appeal. Rayudu was incensed by the decision, almost saying something to the umpire and then staring at him as he walked away. The ball had struck the thigh-pad and was nowhere near the bat.
The Binny effect
Bangladesh would have had bad memories of Stuart Binny. The last time they crossed paths, he collected 6 for 4 and his swing bowling confounded them to 58 all out chasing 106. Perhaps MS Dhoni hoped for a re-enactment when he threw the new ball to Binny. This time two birds were in danger with one stone: Sarkar tapped a delivery back to the bowler, but Binny couldn't grab it. Tamim, having hared out of his crease, could have been run out but Yadav had misfielded at mid-on.
The defence
Soumya Sarkar, in his short international career, has already made a name as a stroke player. Bowl full and he elegantly drives it through the covers. Bowl short and he tonks it over midwicket. But flight it outside leg, and he pads it away. R Ashwin had kept him quiet for the first two balls. Sensing agitation, he flighted it and the advancing Sarkar was left with only one bail-out option. The languid back-lift stuttered and he improvised by jamming his pads together to stop the ball from beating him.