AUS vs SL: WATCH: Livid Mitchell Starc warns SL Batter of MANKAD at the start of Australia vs Sri Lanka | ODI World Cup 2023: In a very fortunate incident for Sri Lanka during the ongoing contest against Australia at Lucknow’s Ekana Cricket Stadium, Kusal Perera got a lifeline from the Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, who didn’t inflict an easy Mankad at the start of the innings. Parera, who was well outside the crease, could have been an easy wicket for Starc, however, the pacer withdrew by giving merely a warning to the batter.
The incident took place in the very first over of the Sri Lankan innings in Lucknow. In the fourth delivery of the over, Starc, caught Kusal Perera just outside the popping crease at the non-striker’s end before he could direct the delivery towards the striker. The pacer withdrew from his run-up and the camera angles showed that the non-striker was gone by a mile, had Starc castled the wicket and appealed for it.
However, Starc merely gave a warning to Kusal Perera by saying “Don’t leave your crease,” as informed by the commentator Nassir Hussain.
Hussain also informed that he saw Mitchell Starc having a word with the on-field umpire, informing him of Kusal Perera’s act of getting a head start before the ball left his hand in the past two deliveries, just before he went for his run-up in the fourth delivery.
“After the first ball, Starc had a little word with the umpire, Kusal Perera just leaving his crease… he was saying to Kusal Perera ‘don’t leave your crease’. That’s fair enough, he’s told the umpire now he’s told the batter, stay in your crease at that end… a very eventful first over,” said Nassir Hussain on air during the Australia vs Sri Lanka first over.
Starc once again withdrew from his run-up in the fifth over and this time too Kusal Perera was at the non-striker’s end, however, the batter this time was inside the guided lines as shown by the camera angles.
Interestingly, Starc’s decision to not inflict a run-out at the non-striker’s end, famously called a Mankad, cost Australia heavily. The two Sri Lankan openers gave a solid start to the innings with both of them contributing 125 runs before the first wicket dismissal. Kusal Perera played a brilliant knock of 78 runs in 82 deliveries including 12 boundaries. He was eventually dismissed by Australian skipper Pat Cummins.
Runout at the non-striker’s end has always been a hot topic to discuss among cricket pundits. Some favour the argument while some give their views against it, although, it is a legitimate form of dismissal as said by the apex cricket body.
Mankad, as it is usually called, is well within the ‘spirit of the sport’ and the mode of dismissal is acknowledged by the ICC and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) – the guardians of the cricket laws. The law states that a “Non-striker leaving his/her ground early,” states: “At any time from the moment the ball comes into play until the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the non-striker is liable to be Run out if he/she is out of his/her ground.”
Below is the video of the incident: AUS vs SL: WATCH: Livid Mitchell Starc warns SL Batter of MANKAD at the start of Australia vs Sri Lanka.
AUS vs SL: Sri Lanka in the brink of collapse against Australia
As things stand currently, Australia has got hold of the situation after getting a whack by the Sri Lankan openers early in the innings. The dismissal of the Sri Lankan openers paved the way for Australia to dominate the game and push the opposition into the backfoot, which they have successfully done so far.
The openers together stitched a 125-run partnership and took the team to a solid start, but the team now sees itself amidst hot waters. Australia has managed to get eight breakthroughs in the span of 75 runs and reduced Sri Lanka to 199/8 in 39.2 overs.
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