When Rohit got no-ball reprieve

It was up to Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina to put together a partnership.

At 115 for three after 28 overs, India were under pressure. It was up to Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina to put together a partnership. Progress was steady but that big push was missing. India were going at under 4.5 runs per over.

Then came rain, forcing a minor stoppage. When play resumed, batting power play was taken after 35 overs. Deep into that power play, at 39.4 over, controversy came calling. Rubel Hossain attempted a yorker but missed his length. It came as a full-toss which Rohit scooped to deep mid-wicket. A straightforward chance, safely taken. By then, India’s innings was gaining momentum with 41 runs in 4.3 overs. Rohit was batting on 90 off 101 balls and the total had moved to 195/3. Bangladesh thought they had managed to put the brakes on. Umpire Aleem Dar, from his position at square leg, however, thought otherwise. He instantly signalled a no-ball. His colleague at the bowling end, Ian Gould, obliged.

TV replays showed Rohit had met the ball waist-high, well in front of the batting crease, and the ball was going down in its trajectory.

Crucial decision
Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered in the final outcome, for India bowled and fielded at a different level than their opponents. But Rohit’s wicket at that juncture could have pushed the door ajar. The opener went on to score 137 off 126 balls and added 122 runs with Suresh Raina for the fourth wicket. India scored 97 runs in the final 10 overs to take the game away from Bangladesh.

Little wonder then that Mashrafe Mortaza made his displeasure felt after the game. “Look, a wicket during crucial juncture is always important. At that point of time we were putting in a lot of pressure on their batsmen. And everyone saw what happened after that,” said the Bangladesh captain.

He must have felt aggrieved over a leg before call as well that went in Raina’s favour. On DRS, the ball appeared to have pitched marginally outside the leg stump. But it was very close, a fifty-fifty decision. Raina was batting on 10 off 18 balls then. The left-hander went on to score 65 important runs that eventually helped India over the 300-run mark, the second time in Melbourne in this World Cup.

Source:: Indian Express