Explained: The No-Ball, Wide-Ball Confusion In Mohammed Shami's 2nd Over Of Delhi Test
The first ball of the third over of the second Test between Inda and Australia pitched outside the wide line by Mohammed Shami but was instead called a no-ball by the umpire.
Early into the second Test between India and Australia in New Delhi, lost a little bit of control on the ball as he bowled a wayward delivery in the third over. It was only the first ball of the over, with David Warner facing the India pacer. The ball pitched outside the wide line but interestingly, the umpire called it a no-ball. The decision left a few baffled, but later, a clarification was issued by the commentators on-air, explaining why it wasn't called a wide delivery.
The ball seemed to have slipped out of Shami's hand as it landed at a fair distance away from Warner. What intrigued many was whether the ball should've been called a wide. But, the commentator then explained that since the ball pitched outside the pitch, it would be called a no-ball, no matter if it was outside the wide line too.
MCC Law 21.7: Ball bouncing more than once, rolling along the ground or pitching off the pitch
"The umpire shall call and signal No ball if a ball which he/she considers to have been delivered, without having previously touched bat or person of the striker,
- bounces more than once or rolls along the ground before it reaches the popping creaseÂ
or
- pitches wholly or partially off the pitch as defined in Law 6.1 (Area of pitch) before it reaches the line of the striker's wicket. When a non-turf pitch is being used, this will apply to any ball that wholly or partially pitches off the artificial surface."
As for the match, Australia skipper Pat Cummins on Friday won the toss and elected to bat first in their bid to bounce back.
The tourists, who were well beaten in the opener in the four-match series, made two changes at New Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Travis Head, controversially left out last time, returns in place of Matt Renshaw. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann makes his Test debut with Scott Boland making way.
India made one change from their innings-and-132-run victory last week with fit-again Shreyas Iyer replacing Suryakumar Yadav.
Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara is set to play his landmark 100th match.
India haven't lost a Test at the venue -- previously called Feroz Shah Kotla -- since 1987.
With AFP inputs
India Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team
Mohammad Shami