Watch: Adam Zampa Saves Umpire From Suffering Brutal Blow During IND vs AUS 1st ODI

The 31-year-old Australia National Cricket Team leg-spinner Adam Zampa saved the on-field umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan from suffering a brutal blow during the first ODI between India and Australia.

The first ODI of the three-match series between KL Rahul-led India National Cricket Team and Pat Cummins-led Australia National Cricket Team was played on Friday, 22 September, at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh. The Men In Blue defeated the Aussies by 5 wickets in the match to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Defending the target of 277, Adam Zampa bowled really well, but his spell wasn’t enough to save his side from the defeat. After India got off to a sensational start in the match, thanks to Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s batting masterclass, Adam Zampa brought his side back into the game.

Adam Zampa first cleaned up Gaikwad for 71 in the 22nd over and then he also bamboozled Shubman Gill for 74 in the 26th over to push the hosts on the backfoot.

When Adam Zampa came to bowl his next over in the 28th over of the innings, he produced two wicket-taking opportunities of dismissing Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul but he himself dropped their catch on the back-to-back deliveries.

However, it was on the second ball of the over when Kishan smashed a floated-up delivery straight in the direction of the umpire KN Ananthapadmanabhan. But thanks to Zampa, nothing happened to the umpire as the leg-spinner was able to stretch his right hand to stop the ball despite having very little time to react and it deflected off his hand and went towards mid-off. Also, the umpire KN Anantha Padmanabhan himself tried to duck for cover and he fell on the ground.

Watch: Adam Zampa Saves Umpire From Suffering Brutal Blow

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Speaking after the loss against India, Australia captain Pat Cummins said that he was happy to play his first ODI since November 2022. He also issued a worrying update about the injuries of Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc, saying that they will not take part in the second ODI. Talking about the performance of his side, Pat Cummins said that they were not up to the mark in the match. He elaborated:

“Personally, happy to be back. Good to get my first game in India. A few guys batted well, few guys bowled well but overall not good enough. (On injuries) They’d probably not be ready for the second game, maybe the third game. 

“Maxi has just arrived in India. Smith’s first hit as well, and Davey was brilliant. Good to see them out there together. We’ve got one eye on the big tournament, but you want to set the standards early and build a good rhythm.”