NEW DELHI, Nov 25
Rinku Singh gave glimpses of his abilities with the bat in high-pressure situations when he launched Sean Abbott for a six over long-on to power India over the line during Thursday’s nail-biting first T20I against Australia in Visakhapatnam.
With India needing seven off the final over, Rinku got a boundary of the first ball to ease off the pressure, and leave the equation at three from five, but little did he expect that the game will be stretched till the final ball as Australia inflicted three dismissals, to almost clinch the nervy affair. However, Rinku managed to get the strike back on the last ball of the match, and dispatched Abbott for a six before the umpires signaled a no-ball for overstepping.
While India’s win was secure, the six runs were not added to Rinku’s tally, as he walked back undefeated on 22.
According to ICC Men’s T20I Playing Conditions, clause 16.5.1: “As soon as a result is reached as defined in clauses 16.1, 16.2 or 16.3.1, the match is at an end. Nothing that happens thereafter, except as in clause 41.17.2 (Penalty runs), shall be regarded as part of it.”
This rule means that as soon as the no ball was bowled, India had reached its target and the six runs wouldn’t stand. Unfortunately, for Rinku if India had needed more than one run to win, the six runs would have stood.
The rulebook adds: “If a boundary is scored before the batters have completed sufficient runs to win the match, the whole of the boundary allowance shall be credited to the side’s total and, in the case of a hit by the bat, to the striker’s score.” Earlier, skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan struck belligerent half centuries to set the tone for the chase of 209, with a 112-run third wicket stand before Rinku added the finishing touches.
Australia’s mammoth total was propelled by a power-packed 110 off 50 balls from wicketkeeper Josh Inglish.
