Chasing a seemingly modest target of 120, Pakistan was comfortably placed at 80-3 after 14 overs. Mohammad Rizwan, their top-scorer, was steady at the crease with 31 runs from 43 balls. However, on the first ball of the 15th over, Jasprit Bumrah produced a magical delivery that caught Rizwan off guard. Attempting to play a defensive shot, Rizwan misjudged the line and length, resulting in the ball cannoning into the stumps and shattering his defenses.
Rizwan’s dismissal shifted the momentum in India’s favor, as the crucial wicket on the first ball of the 15th over left Pakistan reeling. Despite high expectations from Iftikhar, the 33-year-old right-handed batter struggled to finish the match, managing only five runs from nine balls before getting out. Rizwan’s misjudged shot proved to be the turning point, leading to Pakistan’s eventual downfall in the match.
There have been a couple of cases of batters falling into the trap playing a false shot. These false shots have cost their teams the game as well. Let’s take a look at who played a false shot in the past and what was its impact.
Mike Gatting in 1987
In the most closely fought World Cup final to date, Australia, led by Allan Border, clinched the 1987 World Cup by defeating archrivals England by 7 runs. England, on the brink of victory, witnessed a dramatic turn of events when captain Mike Gatting played a high-risk reverse sweep against the left-arm spin of his counterpart, Allan Border. Gatting’s risky shot led to his dismissal, triggering a collapse from a position of strength and handing an unexpected victory to the Australians.
Mark Ramprakash in 2001
In the 2001 Trent Bridge Test, England, trailing by five runs, were reeling at 126 for 4, having lost key wickets of Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart. Mark Ramprakash, who had patiently scored 26 runs in an hour and a half, faced relentless sledging from Shane Warne. Warne’s taunts, urging Ramprakash to step out and attack, culminated in a moment of red mist. With just nine overs left for stumps, Ramprakash charged down the track, only to be deceived by Warne’s classic leg break, leading to an easy stumping for Adam Gilchrist. Reflecting on the incident, Ramprakash later remarked, “Throughout my Test career I’ve been accused of not playing my shots… and I will be looking to take the attacking option when I can – even if that means going down the pitch to Shane Warne.”
Kapil Dev in 1984
In a controversial moment in Indian cricket history, 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev was dropped from the team for the Kolkata Test against England in 1984. Under Sunil Gavaskar’s leadership, India won the game by 8 wickets. At the time, it was reported that Kapil’s omission was due to his poor performances, allegedly proposed by Gavaskar. However, in a recent interaction, Gavaskar dispelled this myth, clarifying, “As far as Kapil Dev is concerned, this has been something a myth that has been spread for a long, long time. I did not propose dropping Kapil Dev. I was part of the selection committee as the Indian captain and as the Indian captain, I can join the selection committee I do not have a voting right. I’m just co-opted to the selection committee. The proposed action to drop Kapil was proposed by somebody else, another selector.”
These incidents underscore the fine line between brilliance and blunder in cricket, where a single misjudged shot can alter the course of a match and, sometimes, a player’s career.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
