During the second ODI of the three-match series, in Indore, Sean Abbott took an excellent catch, but Shreyas Iyer was ruled not out.
Earlier this month, Iyer returned to India’s ODI team after an eight-month injury layoff. In his return match, after making a nine-ball 14, he hit the ball straight into the middle of the wicket with no one on either side, causing him to get injured again and miss the rest of the Asia Cup.
When Iyer returned for the Australia series, three players were out in the first match. His performance (over 45 average, near 100 strike rate) was a testament to his ability, but he may have needed that big innings before the World Cup to secure his spot.
This happened during the second ODI against Australia in Indore. With the score 16-1 in four overs, Iyer was in the lead and from his first 16 balls he hit six fours, extending his record to 31.
He took 41 balls to get past Shubman Gill to score the first fifty and another 45 balls for the second. This was Iyer’s third ODI hundred and the first since his unbeaten 113 in October 2022.
Shortly after, Sean Abbott threw the ball to Iyer, who tried to defend it but was unable to contain it. Abbott saw the ball bounce to his right, dove in front of Gill and made a spectacular catch. Once Iyer left, the television coverage ended with a commercial break.
However, umpires Jayaraman Madanagopal and Kumar Dharmasena referred the matter to TV umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan. After watching several replays, Ananthapadmanabhan said that according to Rule 33.3, “Catching begins when the ball is first hit and touches the fielder’s body,” the ball was caught before Abbott had full control. I concluded that it touched the ground. It ends when the fielder has complete control of the ball and his own movement. ”
On-air, Murali Kartik called this a “Mitchell Stark moment” as Ben Duckett survived a similar “capture” by StarkThis summer’s incident at Ashes mentioned.
Iyer hit the next ball for a four, but Abbott then retaliated with a ball that Iyer hit straight to deep midwicket. His 90-ball 105 included 11 fours and his three sixes.
At the time of writing, India were 296-3 in 39.5 overs.
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