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Afghanistan could have also dismissed KL Rahul early in the one-off Test in New Chandigarh if they hadn’t been spoiled by the confident act of the Team India opener. Despite a clear noise, the Afghanistan camp avoided review, and later they had no option but to regrate on the decision.
On the first ball of the 11th over of the first innings, Afghanistan pacer Ziaur Rahman Sharifi delivered a short of the length delivery on the off of the line. Rahul leaped to play a massive cut shot, but the ball went right behind the stumps.
Afghanistan misses a golden opportunity to dismiss KL Rahul early
Rahmanullah Gurbaz was confident that there was an edge. He tried his best to approach Hashmatullah Shahidi, the Afghanistan captain, to take a review as the on-field umpire denied the appeal. Sahahidi and his boys had a long discussion before deciding not to waste a review at the early stage of the match. If the skipper signaled the umpire for a review, then it would force KL Rahul to vacate the pitch.
Afsar Zazai is the wicketkeeper for the Test, who was not sure whether there was any noise. As the keeper was supposed to judge the situation best, Hashmatullah Shahidi showed his trust in the wicketkeeper and let the chance to review the on-field umpire’s decision go.
Rahul shook his head in disagreement
KL Rahul's body language also might have influenced Shahidi’s decision. Rahul was shaking his head as the ball passed the bat without making any connection. Former England spinner, Graeme Swann, who was then in the commentary box, stated that the Indian batter deserved an Oscar for his brilliant acting skills.
“KL Rahul has played an absolute blinder here, because the captain and the keeper looked to him, and he shook his head. And they believed him. He should be put up for an Oscar for his acting there, KL Rahul. My hat's off to you, sir. Here comes the Oscar,” Graeme Swann said on air.
“True batters never believe they are out despite the evidence,” he added further.
Disappointment for Yashasvi Jaiswal
Rahul’s wicket could have been a huge blow for the Indian cricket team as they were already down by one man. KL Rahul’s opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal, lost his scalp in the earliest stage of the match. Jaiswal went for only 24 runs when India was with 41 runs on the scoreboard.
It is a must-win match for the Shubman Gill-led side as the one-off Test is involved in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. On paper, India is far ahead of Afghanistan, and by confirming a commanding win against them, the host will try to improve their position in the table.
Winning the toss, Shubman Gill opted to bat first as batting in the second half of the match is expected to be very difficult because of the hot and humid conditions and the nature of the pitch, where the spinners can take a crucial role to decide the result of the contest.
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