Experienced Pakistan opener Azhar Ali evoked the memories of an infamous dismissal involving the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in the Adelaide Test of 1999. Azhar got out LBW while ducking before stumps on Day 4 of the second Test against Australia in Karachi this Tuesday (March 15). The incident immediately brought back memories of master blaster […]
Experienced Pakistan opener Azhar Ali evoked the memories of an infamous dismissal involving the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in the Adelaide Test of 1999. Azhar got out LBW while ducking before stumps on Day 4 of the second Test against Australia in Karachi this Tuesday (March 15).
The incident immediately brought back memories of master blaster Tendulkar being given out shoulder before stumps by umpire Daryl Harper against the great Glenn McGrath. But there were two obvious differences here. Not only was Azhar Ali not hit on his shoulders, but he couldn’t also be out since he had gloved the ball on its way.
Bizarre dismissal came to light facing Australian allrounder Cameron Green, who seems to have developed an uncanny ability to provide his team with some crucial breakthroughs against the run of play.
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Azhar Ali was involved in a rarest of rare dismissal.
Obviously preempting a short-pitched delivery from Green, Azhar Ali took evasive action once the ball did actually pitched short. But to his misfortune, it never bounced more than stump height and left him as a sitting duck to be given out LBW. At the first glance, it seemed a straightforward decision for the umpire and the batter was duly given out.
Azhar then had a brief discussion with his partner Abdullah Shafique but the two batters decided not to go for the review and the timer ran out. A few moments later, they would’ve been kicking themselves for not sending the matter upstairs as a closed-in review revealed that Azhar had gloved the ball on its way to his body.
Green gets Azhar after lunch. #BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/M161IxLr6s
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 15, 2022
It was a strange, strange dismissal as Azhar didn’t feel the ball hitting his glove at all. Usually, batters are expected to have at least a slight idea of where they made contact with the ball.
Not only that, there could’ve been some doubt involved over the height of the ball and it might have been sailing over the stumps. But the batter did not opt for the review and kept walking.
