WATCH: Village cricket from India and South Africa – huge run out opportunity missed after horrible backing up
The otherwise high-intense second ODI between India and South Africa turned into a comedy show for a brief on Saturday (January 19) in Paarl as a horrible mix-up saw KL Rahul and Rishabh stranded at the same end and yet the hosts failed to get a run-out.
Both Rahul and Pant were left staring at each other at the strikers end after a comical error while trying to sneak through a single.
At the same time, the Proteas made a horrible attempt at grabbing hold of the throw and never completed what should’ve been a straightforward run-out.
The incident is from the last ball of the 15th over in the Indian first-innings. Facing left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj, Pant clipped the ball to the other side of the positioned short mid-wicket fielder.
WATCH: Angry Virat Kohli Fires Throw At Bavuma’s Head; Batsman Ducks Just In Time
KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant had a horrible mix up against South Africa.
Pant, Rahul evade run-out despite horrible mix up against South Africa
Pant misjudged how far to the left the ball is from the short mid-wicket fielder – South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma – and hesitated a bit, before going back in his crease. But by then, the train had left for Rahul, as the Indian stand-in captain reached halfway through the pitch and kept going towards the striker’s end.
Rahul anticipated that Pant would keep running towards his end but the wicketkeeper-batter went back to his mark, where now both he and Rahul stood there, with the latter presumably having given up on fate.
But this is where South Africa displayed their part of the hilarious errors. The fantastic throw that Bavuma made was never collected cleanly by Maharaj at the bowling end. The ball went through his hands and reached the mid-off fielder, who also made a foul attempt at grabbing the ball.
This allowed Rahul the time to sprint and get back inside the crease at the bowling mark. Rahul amusingly ran two runs without being counted to the score, while Pant resumed his innings at the other end.
The last thing India could’ve afford at that stage is another wicket, having just lost their in-form opener Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli in quick succession.
The Indians are 1-0 down in the three-match series after a bitter defeat in the opening one-dayer in Paarl on Wednesday (January 19).