Kohli incident rekindles Randiv-Sehwag episode

Flashback to 2010: Sri Lanka spinner Suraj Randiv bowls a no-ball to deny Indian opener Virender Sehwag (right) a century

During the India vs Bangladesh World Cup match in Pune on Thursday, Virat Kohli was approaching his century and with not enough runs left in the run chase was trying to farm the strike to get to three-figures.

However, Bangladesh bowlers did not want Kohli to get to the milestone and on two occasions they bowled wide deliveries to rob the former Indian skipper of a well-deserved hundred.

Umpire Richard Kettleborough identified what the bowlers were trying to do and gave Kohli a chance to get to his century.

Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed bowled from round the wicket. He bowled it flatter and down the leg side. Kohli let the ball go into wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim’s gloves. He was visibly frustrated by the spinner’s tactics. But umpire Kettleborough did not call it a wide. Kohli then decided to finish off the match and did it with a six to get to his century.

However, recent wide law changes to the Laws of Cricket in 2022 may have helped Kohli get to his century.

In March 2022, the MCC announced a new Code of Laws to set to take effect from 1 October, thus affecting Clause 22.1.

It read: “In the modern game, batters are, more than ever, moving laterally around the crease before the ball is bowled. It was felt unfair that a delivery might be called ‘Wide’ if it passes where the batter had stood as the bowler entered his/her delivery stride.”

“Therefore, Law 22.1 has been amended so that a Wide will apply to where the batter is standing, where the striker has stood at any point since the bowler began their run up, and which would also have passed wide of the striker in a normal batting position.”   

Close examination of the non-wide by Kettleborough suggests this could have played a part. As the bowler began running in, Kohli is in an open stance with his front foot planted significantly further towards the leg-side than when it is when the ball passes by him, with another small shuffle coming as the ball is sent down. If the ball would have hit Kohli if he had stayed still, then not calling it wide is the right decision.

The occurrence brought back memories of the infamous incident involving Sri Lanka spinner Suraj Randiv and Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag 13 years ago at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium in 2010 in a Triangular Series match.

Sehwag was batting on 99 and India needed only one run to win with the scores tied at 170. But Randiv deliberately bowled a no-ball judging by the length of the overstep. Sehwag hit the ball into the stands and started to celebrate, both India’s victory and his century. He was then informed that the six didn’t count as the no-ball meant that India had won the match before Sehwag hit the ball for a maximum. No doubt Sehwag was visibly miffed at what had happened. – (ST)