How to stop a rocket, and the non-appeal
Plays from the IPL game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils in Bangalore
Sidharth Monga
16-Apr-2013
Vinay's catch: What is umpire Marais Erasmus thinking? • BCCI
The catch
Have you ever tried stopping a rocket with your bare hands? R Vinay Kumar has. And he has succeeded at it. In his first over, Vinay had David Warner smash one to the left of him. Bigger, stronger men have weaved out of the way of these shots, but Vinay stuck his hands out to it, and the ball stuck to his finger tips. If it stung, it was forgotten in the ecstasy of having taking that unbelievable catch. Warner stood stunned for several seconds.
Have you ever tried stopping a rocket with your bare hands? R Vinay Kumar has. And he has succeeded at it. In his first over, Vinay had David Warner smash one to the left of him. Bigger, stronger men have weaved out of the way of these shots, but Vinay stuck his hands out to it, and the ball stuck to his finger tips. If it stung, it was forgotten in the ecstasy of having taking that unbelievable catch. Warner stood stunned for several seconds.
The non-appeal
In the 15th over of the Delhi Daredevils' innings, Mahela Jayawardene took what looked like an easy two to short fine leg. The throw from there hit the stumps, and went for an overthrow. However, no one that matters noticed that Kedar Jadhav, the non-striker, had ambled up and plonked his foot in, and was in fact run out. The appeal, though, hadn't been made, and when the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, Virat Kohli, realised - possibly through a signal from the dugout - and asked the umpires to check with the third umpire, he was seemingly told it was too late to make the appeal.
In the 15th over of the Delhi Daredevils' innings, Mahela Jayawardene took what looked like an easy two to short fine leg. The throw from there hit the stumps, and went for an overthrow. However, no one that matters noticed that Kedar Jadhav, the non-striker, had ambled up and plonked his foot in, and was in fact run out. The appeal, though, hadn't been made, and when the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, Virat Kohli, realised - possibly through a signal from the dugout - and asked the umpires to check with the third umpire, he was seemingly told it was too late to make the appeal.
The runs
Warner is playing for the wrong team. He will be more at home with something to do with Mumbai. When Ravi Rampaul sconed him on the back of the head, the ball flew over the keeper for what should have been four leg-byes, but Warner slyly showed the umpire Vineet Kulkarni his bat, and it was, much to the chagrin of Rampaul, called runs and not leg-byes. All those khadoos Mumbai coaches and former players will have raised one to Warner's act.
Warner is playing for the wrong team. He will be more at home with something to do with Mumbai. When Ravi Rampaul sconed him on the back of the head, the ball flew over the keeper for what should have been four leg-byes, but Warner slyly showed the umpire Vineet Kulkarni his bat, and it was, much to the chagrin of Rampaul, called runs and not leg-byes. All those khadoos Mumbai coaches and former players will have raised one to Warner's act.
The loosener
Brought in to replace Daniel Christian in what is becoming a bit of musical chairs between the two, Andrew McDonald was asked to bowl soon after the Powerplay was over. He ambled in, bowled a gentle length ball on the pads of the dangerous-looking Virender Sehwag. In what McDonald will tell you was a master plan, Sehwag failed to keep the flick down and found out midwicket to perfection.
Brought in to replace Daniel Christian in what is becoming a bit of musical chairs between the two, Andrew McDonald was asked to bowl soon after the Powerplay was over. He ambled in, bowled a gentle length ball on the pads of the dangerous-looking Virender Sehwag. In what McDonald will tell you was a master plan, Sehwag failed to keep the flick down and found out midwicket to perfection.
The run-out
The lesson from this game: whatever you do, don't smash anything back at Vinay. Bad things happen to batting sides. Not learning from Warner, Jadhav hit one back in the 18th over. He would have thought he had hit it safely into the ground, but - as CLR James would have no doubt said - what do they know of hitting back who only hitting back know? Vinay was in the process of following through when the ball hit his back heel and ricocheted onto the stumps to run out the backing-up Jayawardene.
The lesson from this game: whatever you do, don't smash anything back at Vinay. Bad things happen to batting sides. Not learning from Warner, Jadhav hit one back in the 18th over. He would have thought he had hit it safely into the ground, but - as CLR James would have no doubt said - what do they know of hitting back who only hitting back know? Vinay was in the process of following through when the ball hit his back heel and ricocheted onto the stumps to run out the backing-up Jayawardene.
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo