10 most bizarre dismissals of all time

Cricket, being the funny old game that it is, has produced numerous magicalmoments over the years somememorable, others forgettable. There have been some really strange waysthe batsman have found over the years to get out, but these select few take the top billing in the list of top 10 most bizarre dismissals of all time:

#10 Kumar Sangakkara - Colombo, 2009

This is the sort of stuff that happens when nothing is going your way! It was the Compaq Cup final between Sri lanka and India at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. On the back of a brilliant 138 from Sachin Tendulkar, India had posted a formidable 319 runs on the board.

In reply, Sri Lanka were 182/5 in 27 overs when the mishap occured. RP Singh bowled a full toss with a rather set Kumar Sangakkara on strike. On another day, the stylish left-hander would’ve dispatched that sort of delivery out of the stands but the luck that day was really on India’s side.

Eyeing the cow corner region, the bat slipped out of Sanga’s hands and fell right on top of the stumps. India wrapped up the remaining wickets soon and sealed fate of the title in their favour.

#9 Alastair Cook - Kolkata, 2012

Skipper Alastair Cook was in the form of his life when England toured India in 2012. Everything he touched turned into gold. Having helped England humiliate India in the last tTest match at the Wankhede, another ‘upset’ was in the offing at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

England were in complete command of the game at 359/2 with Cook batting on a fluent 190* and new batsmen Kevin Pietersen at the other end.

KP flicked a delivery from Zaheer Khan, straight to square leg where Virat Kohli had a shy at the non-strikers’ end. Cook turned around but didn’t bother to ground his bat. The crowd went wild as Kohli’s throw hit the stumps and Cook missed out on a well deserved double ton.

#8 Muttiah Muralitharan - Christchurch, 2006

Perhaps the dismissal which could’ve been closely synonymous to the Ian Bell fiasco of 2011. On the third day of the first test at Christchurch, Muralitharan was run-out after completing a single which gave Kumar Sangakkara a century.

After completing the run, Murali turned back to congratulate Sanga, but the ball had not yet been declared dead. Seizing an opportunity, wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum whipped off the bails and the umpire had no choice but to send Murali on his way. Sanga’s moment was soured as he could only gaze in disbelief from the other end.

The Sri Lankans were stunned by this behaviour, saying that it was agaisnt the ‘spirit’ of the game. Unlike Dhoni, the then Kiwis’ skipper Stephen Fleming refused to withdraw the appeal, stating that Muralitharan made a mistake and paid the price.

#7 Chris Read - Lord\'s, 1999

This is the sort of dismissal any batsman would like to forget as soon as possible. A proper misjudgment in reading the line and length of the ball!

Chris Read, the Nottinghamshire-born wicketkeeper, was playing only his second Test match for England against New Zealand in 1999 at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s. Stil not off the mark, he ducked to a slow ball yorker from Chris Cairns, only for the ball to go beyond his legs and rattle the stumps.

Explaining the incident, Read later said that he had lost sight of the ball due to movement behind the sidescreen and he ended up doing something that made him look rather stupid. Sure it did, Chris!

#6 Misbah-ul-Haq - Delhi, 2007

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Batting with supreme security and determination, Misbah looked well on course for a maiden Test century on the second day of the first Test at the Ferozshah Kotla Stadium.

Tapping a delivery from Sourav Ganguly towards the point region, Misbah jetted off for a quick single. The ever-so-alert Dinesh Karthik picked up the ball and had a shy at the non-strikers’ end. Instead of grounding the bat, Misbah jumped to evade the ball hitting him. As the ball rattled the stumps, Misbah was found out by the third umpire, mid-air!

#5 Andrew Symonds - Melbourne, 2005

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During the 2005 VB series opener at the MCG, Andrew Symonds was smashing the Lankan bowlers all over he park. Even the great Muttiah Muralitharan wasn’t spared. Left with no other option, captain Marvan Atapattu had to throw the ball to part-timer Jehan Mubarak, who didn’t disappoint and provided the breakthrough. Not in the most usual manner, but then a wicket is a wicket.

In Mubarak’s second over, Symonds hammered a brutal straight drive with such great force, that Clarke at the non-strikers’ end had no time to react and take evasive action. The ball looped off Clarke’s pads and was safely pouched by Tillakaratne Dilshan at mid-on. Both the batsmen could only grin in bemusement as Symonds departed towards the pavilion.

#4 Kevin Pietersen - Old Trafford, 2007

Batting on 68 in the third Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford, Kevin Pietersen lost his wicket in the most unfortunte way! A Dwayne Bravo bouncer struck him on the chin, dislodged his helmet and sent it flying onto the stumps.

The look on Pietersen’s face after the dismissal was one of total disbelief and he had no option but to drag himself off the field. TV replays further suggested that the force of the ball broke the chin-strap of the helmet, freeing the lid to strike the stumps.

#3 Inzamam-ul-Haq - Leeds, 2006

On the third day of the Headingley Test during Pakistan’s now infamous 2006 tour to England, Inzamam ul-Haq executed the famous hit-wicket. He swivelled across the line to sweep a rather full delivery from Monty Panesar towards the boundary and was struck on the midriff. But the momentum of his body took him onto the stumps as he rolled over to disturb the bails.

It is one thing to lose control of the bat and disturb the bails or clip the stumps with one’s feet while standing too deep in the crease, but falling on it while trying to pull off a high jump over them, truly unbelievable.

This will remain one of the funniest dismissals in cricket ever, if not the funniest!

#2 Inzamam-ul-Haq - Peshawar, 2006

In truth, Inzamam could have a whole DVD full of weird dismissals to his name. While his gravity-defying attempt against Panesar was certainly amusing – the weirdest dismissal of his career came in the 1st ODI at Peshawar against arch-rivals India.

Pakistan were in cruise control at 289/5 from 43 overs chasing India’s 328 run target. Charging down the track, Inzamam stroked a delivery from Sreesanth straight to mid-off. Sniffing a run-out attempt, Suresh Raina immediately threw the ball to the striker’s end.

As the ball approached the stumps, the Pakistan skipper played a textbook defensive shot to block the ball. Following an appeal from the Indian fielders, the umpires Simon Taufel and Asad Rauf sent Inzy on his way for obstructing the field.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar - Adelaide 1999

This has to be the most controversial one of them all! During the 1999 Adelaide Test, Sachin Tendulkar ducked to a short delivery from Glenn McGrath, a ball that didn’t quite bounce off the pitch, and struck the Mumbaikar on his forearm. Following a ferocious appeal from the Aussies, the umpire Daryl Harper raised his finger and sent the little master back to the pavilion, ‘leg’ before wicket.

Although the TV replays did suggest that the ball might have just clipped the bails, the favour of the decision could’ve and should’ve been in favour of the batsmen. Reflecting upon the incident, several journalists wondered whether the scorecard should have read as ‘head before wicket’ instead.

In an interview with the website Cricinfo, Harper recently admitted that this was the most regretable decision in his entire career.

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Edited by Staff Editor