Watch: Josh Hazlewood pulls off sensational run out to send back Hanuma Vihari
An inspired piece of fielding by Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood lifted the hosts on Day 3 of the SCG Test against India on Saturday. Hazlewood's direct hit brought an end to Indian middle order batsman Hanuma Vihari's brief stay at the crease.
Having struggled his way to 4 off 37, Vihari came down the pitch to off-spinner Nathan Lyon and pushed the ball straight to mid-off. But in a brain fade moment, he dashed off for a non-existent single – a clear indication of the pressure the Aussies had built on him.
Hazlewood dived to his right and threw even while being off balance, and struck gold with a direct hit. By this time, Vihari wasn’t even attempting to make his ground, realizing how far away from the crease he was.
Vihari’s dismissal left India in a spot of bother at 142 for 4 in the first innings of the Test.
Watch the run out video below:
Australian bowlers were excellent in the first session of Day 3 at the SCG, giving nothing away to the visitors. Resuming at their overnight score of 96 for 2, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were kept quiet for most part of the first hour.
The pressure that was build eventually led to the stand-in skipper dragging one onto the stumps. A back of a length delivery from Pat Cummins stayed slightly low and jagged back in, which Rahane ended up bottom-edging on to the stumps.
Though Pujara and Rishabh Pant pulled things back for India, both of them lost their wickets in a space of four deliveries. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were out in the middle with India 202-6 at the time of writing.
Josh Hazlewood vs Ravindra Jadeja: Who pulled off the better run out?
Josh Hazlewood’s run out of Vihari was the second brilliant piece of fielding at the SCG in two days.
On Friday, Ravindra Jadeja brought down the curtains on Steve Smith’s wonderful innings of 131 with an incredible run out. Smith looked set for a bigger score when Jadeja’s direct hit, running in from deep square leg, caught the Australian short of the crease.
Jadeja attacked the ball, picked it up one-handed, and made a direct hit even with just one stump to aim at. Even a desperate dive from Smith could not save him.