Three days after India’s heartbreaking defeat to Australia in the ODI Cricket World Cup Final, the two teams met each other in a different format i.e., T20I.
The first of the five-match series was played at Vizag.
Putting Australia into bat, India was put under the hammer by the Aussie batters, led by Josh Inglis’ quickfire century.
He scored 110 off 50 balls to take his team’s total to 208 runs in their quota of 20 overs. For India, every bowler except for Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar went for more than 10 runs an over.
Chasing a mammoth target, the young Indian team started on the wrong foot and lost both the openers at the score of 22 runs.
Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) then stitched a 112-run partnership. Ishan scored 58 off 39 and SKY departed for 80 off 42.
India needed 15 off 14 balls with five wickets to spare. But Axar was having a bad day and he failed to make a mark, only scoring 2 runs from 6 balls.
It made an unexpected dent in the comfortable-looking run chase.
Eventually, India lost three wickets in three balls in the final over and needed one run to win off the last ball when Rinku Singh smashed Sean Abbott for a huge six over long-on.
But wait, it wasn’t counted. Why?
Why Was Rinku Singh’s Last Ball Six Not Counted?
Well, with fire in his eyes, Rinku smashed the last ball of the first T20I for a maximum over the long-on fence.
But the boundary was not counted because Sean Abbott had overstepped.
Hence, it was a No Ball.
Since India just needed one run to win, they won the match with the no-ball instead of the sixer.
Had they needed 2 or more runs, the sixer would have been counted. But since the No Ball was enough to take India over the line, Rinku’s six went in vain in the scoring sheet.
In the sequence of events, the no-ball occurred before Rinku’s six.
Just like when a bowler bowls a no-ball, which also goes for a wide, it is the no-ball that is counted because it happens first.
Nonetheless, the whole world witnessed his nerves of steel once again.
In case you are interested in a detailed final over highlights of the match, you can read it below.
IND vs AUS 1st T20I: Final Over Drama Highlights
In the first T20I between India and Australia, India needed 7 to win off the last over with five wickets in hand. As easy as it might sound, we were in for some drama.
Rinku Singh and Axar Patel were at the crease while Sean Abbott had the ball in hand.
The first delivery went for a boundary from Rinku Singh’s bat.
The next ball had him cross over for a single bringing Axar Patel on strike.
Patel miscued a hook shot on the third ball and was taken by Abbott, running behind. His departure brought Ravi Bishnoi to the crease.
India now needed 2 from 3 balls.
Ravi failed to connect the fourth ball of the over but since Rinku wanted to get back on strike, the duo ran for a bye.
The keeper missed a direct hit at the striker’s end. But the ball traveled to the bowler who quickly took off the bails to dismiss Bishnoi who failed to make it in time on the other side.
Having lost two wickets in two balls, India now needed 2 from 2 as Arshdeep Singh walked to the crease.
Rinku had crossed to the batting end and had the strike to himself.
Abbott bowled it again on a shortish length and Rinku fiercely punched it towards long on. For a moment, it felt like the ball would reach the boundary but the fielder covered his ground and sent the throw to the bowler.
Abbott collected the ball and ran Arshdeep out, putting the equation down to 1 off the final ball of the match.
One of the two remaining batters, Mukesh Kumar made his way to the pitch.
Rinku was on the strike to face the deciding ball of the match. This time around, for a change, Abbott bowled a fuller-length delivery on the middle stump, probably looking for a yorker.
However, the ball went into the slot and Rinku heaved it over the long-on fence for a match-winning six.
Celebrations began and the crowd joined the party. Amid the clamor, the siren blared, indicating a No Ball.
And this is how India beat Australia not with Rinku’s sixer but with Abbott’s No Ball.
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