"We keep setting these new sort of rules" - Jonathan Trott on the complicated web of directives during India vs Afghanistan super over
Team India's thrilling win over Afghanistan in the third T20I in Bengaluru on Wednesday, January 17 is a contest that will be remembered for ages to come. However, the latter stages of the match saw plenty of confusion, and even after its culmination, there are still a lot of questions that have not been completely answered.
A huge talking point from the Super Over came in the form of Rohit Sharma opting to 'retiring' himself ahead of the final delivery to introduce a quicker runner in the form of Rinku Singh. However, with the first super over being tied at the end as well, there was a pressing question over the Team India skipper's eligibility to bat again.
Sharma eventually came out to bat again in the second Super Over and ended up scoring two boundaries off the first two balls. Even though India did not post a commanding target, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi ended the contest with two wickets in three deliveries.
Jonathan Trott admitted that he was confused about the guidelines regarding players involved in the first super over being allowed to bat or bowl in the subsequent one. He added that there was no communication from officials regarding the same.
“I have no idea. Has there ever been two Super Overs? That’s what I am trying to say, it is sort of new. We keep setting these new sort of rules. What I am trying to say is we kept testing the rules, we kept testing the guidelines," Trott said at the end of the third T20I in Bengaluru.
It was not communicated. We wanted Azmat to bowl the second over again, Fareed bowled a great over. But those sort of things will be explained because it has happened, these things will be explained and done in writing in the future. If those are the rules, that’s great. I just think we had a good game, and I don’t think that should be the talking point," Trott added
The ICC guidelines state in 25.4.2 that ‘if a batter retires because of illness, injury or any other unavoidable cause, that batter is entitled to resume his/her innings. If for any reason this does not happen, that batter is to be recorded as ‘Retired – not out’.’
"Taking himself out was Ashwin-level thinking" - Team India head coach Rahul Dravid on Rohit Sharma's decision to retire in the super over
Team India head coach Rahul Dravid was all praise for Rohit Sharma's presence of mind. While Rinku Singh's presence at the end did not matter much in the end as India were only able to claim a regulation single, a tricky situation could have arisen where two runs needed to be claimed, and the difficulty increased considering the small dimensions at Chinnaswamy.
Anticipating such a circumstance, Rinku Singh was rightly introduced at the non-striker's end for the final delivery.
“Taking himself out was Ashwin-level thinking. That’s Ash-level thinking," Dravid said after the third T20I.
Do you think it was unfair to Afghanistan that Rohit Sharma got to bat once again despite walking off in the first super over? Let us know what you think.