Cricket is a game of rules. Some really good, some can be poor. The ones that are not good for the game are updated with time. However, it is a necessity to follow these rules. That is all about playing the game in the right spirit and making it The Gentleman’s Game. However, there are some times that teams and players find a way to go around some of these rules. One such incident was in India’s Test series against England and skipper Virat Kohli did not seem happy.
The five-match series is currently tied at 1-1. Whichever team wins this game, cannot lose the series now. With that being said, the players have been trying their best to grab the advantage in this match. The rivalry is a bit heated and that has been visible on the pitch as well.
What Made Indian Skipper Virat Kohli Really Unhappy On Day 1 Of The Fourth Test At The Oval?
To counter the swing at The Oval, the batsmen were taking guard outside the crease. They were marking it a bit ahead of usual. Indian batsman Rishabh Pant was also one of these players. However, when England started doing it, there was one little difference.
There was a rough/danger area on the pitch while the English team was batting, which was already highlighted. The English batsmen were trying to mark their guard quite close to it. As per a rule, the batsmen should not be doing so, as it means that they will be stepping onto it repeatedly, which disrupts the pitch even further.
However, despite constant protests from Virat Kohli and co., the umpires did not give them a warning. This is something that should have happened and King Kohli did not look pleased about it.
Below is the video of the Indian skipper expressing his displeasure on the matter and commentator and cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle explaining the rule in detail-
What is your take on batsmen marking their guard perilously close to the forbidden area of the pitch?
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What may right now seem like nothing, could be a major problem in the long run. If the pitch starts to turn or cut in during the next three days, England could use that advantage to bowl the Indian side out rather quickly. This way, they can use this tactic to their advantage, in trying to the game and the series.
This is exactly why Indian skipper Virat Kohli was displeased with what he was saying. Even some of the former cricketers and Pundits were astonished that there was no warning. Protecting the pitch at any cost is the duty of the umpires, who clearly did not do anything about it. They were just standing and watching the whole time as if nothing wrong was happening. However, if the pitch does disintegrate, we will know who is to blame for it now, won’t we?
