BENGALURU: India head coach Rahul Dravid hailed skipper Rohit Sharma’s decision to take himself out in the first super over against Afghanistan in the third T20I. Afghanistan managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat and level India’s mammoth total of 212 and push the game to super over.
After batting first, the visitors posted 16 runs on the board, which saw Rohit walk back with one ball to go and call out Rinku Singh to the crease before India levelled the score. “Taking himself out was Ashwin-level thinking. That’s Ash-level thinking”, Dravid said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
But Rohit’s decision left a question in the open, whether, during the first super over, he had retired hurt or retired out? This question became the talk of the town after the Indian skipper came out to bat once again in the second super over.
According to ICC’s playing conditions for men’s T20Is, “[a]ny batsman dismissed in any previous Super Over shall be ineligible to bat in any subsequent Super Over”.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the umpires are yet to provide clarity on whether Rohit retired hurt or retired out. If Rohit retired hurt, then the batter is deemed “retired not out” and is eligible to bat again.
While Dravid sang praises of Rohit’s decision, Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott was unaware whether Rohit retired hurt or retired out.
“I have no idea. Has there ever been two Super Overs? That’s what I am trying to say. It’s sort of like a new… we keep setting these new sort of rules. What I am trying to say is, we kept testing the rules, we kept testing the guidelines”, Trott said in the post-match press conference.
Coming to the match, Rohit’s (121*) hard-hitting strokes and late fireworks from Rinku Singh (69*) saw India post a total of 212/4. In reply, Gurbaz (50 in 32 balls with three fours and four sixes) and Zadran (50 in 41 balls, with four boundaries and a six) gave Afghanistan a fine start with a 93-run opening stand.
Then, Naib (55* in 23 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) joined forces with Mohammed Nabi (34 in 16 balls, with two fours and three sixes) to help Afghanistan tie the match.
The first Super Over ended in a tie, with both sides scoring 16 runs each. In the second super over, Rohit hit a four and six, but India lost both their wickets with a ball to go, giving Afghanistan 12 runs to make. But Ravi Bishnoi delivering this Super Over and got Nabi and Gurbaz within the first three balls, with just one run on the board.
India completed the whitewash and walked away with a 3-0 series win. (ANI)