(In pictures) Dinesh Karthik loses wicket via hit-wicket on a wide delivery

Cricket is one of the most complex sports in the world. There are a number of ways for batsmen to lose their wicket. You can get out bowled, LBW and caught behind the wicket. You can even lose your wicket in a number of cruel ways, for example, you can knock your own bails off while batting.

Dinesh Karthik, one of Tamil Nadu’s most important players in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy experienced exactly that while playing a sterling knock for his side in the final against West Bengal.

Extra cover: Tamil Nadu create history by becoming the first side to win the Vijay Hazare 5 times

Speaking about the incident after the game, he said, “It’s interesting. I haven’t seen my dismissal yet. I find ways to get out, run out and other ways. I haven’t seen my dismissal, but I still can’t believe I hit the stumps. I was pretty upset, because it was 5 runs as well but I’m happy about the result”

Facing up to Mohammed Shami, who bowled an errant full wide delivery, Karthik threw the kitchen sink at it, losing his balance as the ball went down leg. Initially, there was joy for Tamil Nadu as it meant four extra runs at the death of the innings, but agony followed as they realized their skipper ended up dislodging the bails.

Batting first in the final, the TN innings never really got going as they lost a flurry of wickets early on. It was only Dinesh Karthik who enjoyed any success whatsoever and was his side’s lone source of inspiration with his knock of 112.

Mohammed Shami came in to bowl the 48^th over of the innings. He was responsible for most of the damage and his figures read 3 wickets for 25 runs before he came in to bowl his penultimate over.

The Indian cricket team pacer had lost control of the ball and it ended up way beyond leg stump with the wicket-keeper scampering to prevent any extra runs.

Karthik, who swiveled his hips while playing the shot got a good glance of the ball beating the outstretched keeper’s hands and rolling away to the fence.

Just as he was getting back to a normal position, he ended up knocking his bails off.

It took DK and the other cricketers on the ground a few seconds to process what had just transpired. In fact, the umpire had initially signalled a wide before the third umpire was called in to make a decision.

DK was irate when he realised he had lost his wicket in that fashion but his knock helped his side get to 217, a fighting total in the final.

The mind immediately traces back to a few funny dismissals in the past. Like how Inzamam-ul-Haq fell over his stumps while facing up to Monty Panesar –

Or when Dwayne Bravo dismissed Kevin Pietersen in this fashion –

On the verge of victory, Dinesh Karthik might recall this incident with a chuckle as he finished as top run-scorer in the tournament and the first man to breach the 600-run barrier in the tournament, helping his side lift the trophy for a record 5^th time.