IPL 2020: First and final warning from Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is trending again. Yes, it is for the same reason as it was back in March 2019. But there is a slight twist. This time, it is just for a warning and a big glare and not for the actual run-out of the non-striker for backing up too far.
Last IPL season when Ashwin had run Buttler out, while it was well within the rules and laws of the game, the pause that Ashwin gave was deemed against the spirit of cricket by MCC. That incident had triggered a huge controversy and Ashwin
However, in this incident, there was no pause or anything, Finch was well outside his crease and there is no way that he would’ve been justified even if Ashwin would’ve taken the bails off.
It is no secret that Ashwin is a big believer of running batsmen out at the non-striker’s end for backing up too far. In fact, he’s had numerous conversations and he has tried justifying and has voiced his opinion on this mode of dismissal on multiple occasions.
In match number 19, Delhi Capitals racked up 196. Royal Challengers Bangalore started decently with Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch putting up 15 runs in two overs. Ravichandran Ashwin came into bowl in the third over of RCB’s run chase.
After conceding three runs in as many balls, Ashwin stopped in his bowling stride and found Finch miles out of his crease. However, unlike the Jos Buttler incident in the 2019 season, Ashwin decided against taking the bails off and just warned Finch with a wry smile on his face.
Ashwin issued the first and final warning to all batsmen and Finch was lucky to escape.
Twitter and social media went wild and in fact, they were surprised and slightly disappointed that the Tamil Nadu off-spinner didn’t run Finch out for backing up too far. But the reason could well be due to Delhi’s head coach Ricky Ponting who isn’t in favour of ‘Mankading’. Hence, when Ashwin gave Finch the warning, the cameras panned to Ponting who sported a smile post that incident.
“Look, he’s a terrific bowler, and he’s done a great job in IPL for a long period of time now, but I must admit watching that last season [Ashwin running out Buttler], as soon as it happened and he did that, I actually sat our boys down and said ‘look, I know he’s done it, there’ll be others around the tournament who’ll think about doing this well, but that’s not going to be the way that we play our cricket, we won’t be doing that’. So that’s going to be a conversation and that’s going to be a hard conversation I will have to have with him, but I’m pretty sure he’ll take it on the chin. I think, even him, looking back now, he will probably say it was within the rules and he’s right to do it, but this is not within the spirit of the game, not in the way I want, at least with the Delhi Capitals anyway,” Ponting was quoted saying on the Grade Cricketer podcast back in August.
In fact, the former Australian captain who has been the head coach of Delhi Capitals since the 2018 season admitted that he was going to have a hard conversation with the off-spinner upon reaching UAE before the IPL commenced. The duo did settle things and talked it out before the season got underway.
But Ashwin had issued a warning. After the game, the Delhi Capitals off-spinner tweeted it is the first and final warning for everyone in this competition. Post this incident, he isn’t going to shy away from taking the bails off and running the non-striker out for backing up too far.
Let’s make it clear !! First and final warning for 2020. I am making it official and don’t blame me later on. @RickyPonting #runout #nonstriker @AaronFinch5 and I are good buddies btw.
#IPL2020
— Ashwin
(@ashwinravi99) October 5, 2020