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3 instances when no-balls have hurt the Indian team

A look back at the marquee days in recent past where a no-ball cost India the game.

ANALYST
Top 5 / Top 10 11 Feb 2018, 21:17 IST
2.24K


that ball changed the complexion of the game
that ball changed the complexion of the game

In cricket, just as in life, there is a list of things you commitย which are unpardonable and aย bowlerย bowlingย aย no-ballย tops it by a country mile. Aย bowlerย bowlingย aย no-ballย is a testimony to his indiscipline and a repetition of which shows the lack of game sense and the willingness to improve, something which subtly differentiates an accomplishedย player from a good one.ย 

Indianย bowlersย in recent years have developed an insatiable love forย bowlingย no-ballsย at crucialย juncturesย onย momentousย occasionsย that proved to be the gaffe of epic proportions for the team.Theย Pinkย ODIย at Johannesburg was an instance which had presented India an opportunity to win four games in a row in the Rainbow Nation, a feat they have never achieved before.

Asย Yuzvendraย Chahal's bowled two no-balls, it helped David Miller and the Proteas to stage a comeback at the Wanderers.

Here's a look at the recent past where the Indian bowler's bowlingย no-ballย at a crucialย junctureย cost India the game.


#3 South Africa vs India, 4th ODI (The Pink ODI) Wanderers, Freedom Trophy 2018

It was turning to be an encore of the first three ODIs with India putting up a competitive total of 289-6 on the board and then had the South Africans on the tenterhooks, with the wrist spinners bamboozling their batsmen.

In a rain-curtailed game where the Proteas needed 202 runs in 28ย overs, the batsmen took an aggressive route while tackling theย wrist spinners.ย Chahalย had been taken for 17 runs by AB deย Villiersย in his firstย over, but the leg-spinner came back roaring in the nextย over, only to see David Miller being dropped byย Shreyasย Iyerย at the deepย fine-leg.ย 

South Africa had been reprived.ย But Miller looked completely at sea againstย Chahalย as he played across the line to a flighted delivery only to see his stumps rattled.ย The bowler let outย a roar, moreย outย of relief, but his confidence plummeted to a new low when replays clearly showed he had overstepped the line.ย 

South Africa was at 106-4 when Miller got a reprieve.ย He replied with three successive foursย offย Hardikย Pandyaย in the very nextย over.ย Miller was ably supported byย Heinrichย Klaasen,ย who himself who smoked the Indian wrist spinners to all corners of the Bull Ring.ย Chahalย bowled his second no ball in his fourthย over, anย overย which was taken for 15 runs and possibly shifted the momentum decisively towards the South Africans.

In conditions less than ideal for spinners, coupled with it being a shortened game, the team that committed the least mistakes would always win.

Result: South Africa won by five wickets (D/L).

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