Pat Cummins bowled a wild delivery which pitched wide of the strip to Virat Kohli in Australia’s World Cup opener against India today (October 8). Here’s why it was given as a no ball rather than a wide.
The Australian captain bowled the 28th over of India’s innings along with in-form KL Rahul and Virat Kohli. Cummins tried to cut off Kohli’s leg, pitched the ball outside the offside, and apparently lost control of the ball early in the action. The ball hit the outside of the cut strip nicely and was very full, but it didn’t rate as wide even though it was well outside the lane.
Instead, the referee declared the ball a “no ball” and awarded a free kick for the next throw. Cummins quickly sent the ball wide and had to bowl again, but Kohli smashed it through midwicket for four points.
The reasons why a throw is declared a no-ball are set out in Article 21.7 of the MCC Cricket Rules. The law states that “if a ball that appears to have been passed without touching the bat or the batter’s body is completely or partially outside the field of play, as defined in Rule 6.1, the umpire shall call it a “no ball.” shall say and instruct. (area of the pitch), before reaching the line of the batsman’s wicket. ”
In short, because the ball was called a “no ball” instead of a “way” even though it was far from the pitch before it fell on the line with Kohli’s stumps.
India won the match by six wickets despite losing three wickets in the first two overs of the chase. Rahul remained unbeaten on 87 balls, but Kohli was eventually bowled out on 85 off 116 balls. Australia’s next match in the tournament will be against South Africa in Lucknow on Thursday (October 12).
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