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Umpires walked over to reprimand Sarfaraz for his sledging, when skipper Rohit Sharma joined the conversation, backing his young batter as he indulged in a spirited talk with them.
Sarfaraz Khan sledging Rachin Ravindra (X)
When a legacy hangs on the line, along with a potential step towards the WTC final, tensions boil over. They sure did today, as Rohit Sharma was involved in a stern chat with NZ batters and the umpires about Sarfaraz Khan’s sledging at the Wankhede on Friday.
Fighting to save face and save their legacy of not being whitewashed at home, India came out into the third and final test against New Zealand with a point to prove.
After a fairly even start, New Zealand assumed control of the game yet again, as batters Daryl Mitchell and Will Young both continued to patiently wittle the runs in.
Reading the dying morale of the team, Sarfaraz Khan began to indulge in a bit of chatter, amping up his bowlers from silly point whilst chirping a few choice words at them to throw them off their game.
After a while of the same though, it seemed as if Mitchell had enough, as the batter approached the umpire to complain to him about Sarfaraz’s distracting nature.
Umpires walked over to reprimand Sarfaraz for his sledging, when skipper Rohit Sharma joined the conversation, backing his young batter as he indulged in a spirited talk with them.
There are no rules against sledging and banter during a game of cricket. But, the reason why Mitchell was more irked was because Sarfaraz, in his eyes, was indulging in the same as the ball was being bowled, which can’t be the case.
The conversation soon ended with the umpires just waving Sarfaraz off with a warning, and the game resumed.
Indian bowlers seem to be having tough luck, except for Washington Sundar, who struck twice to rattle New Zealand, dismissing skipper Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra in identical fashion: a ripper that beat their guard and crashed onto the off stump.
Much still remains to be seen, as New Zealand’s Will Young continues to slowly add runs to the board with ease, leaving India annoyed at his persistence.
.jpeg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Washington Sundar’s carbon copy castles Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra in IND vs NZ third Test")
