India captain Rohit Sharma turned a few heads as he decided to withdraw Mohammed Shami's appeal to dismiss Dasun Shanaka when the Sri Lanka skipper was batting on 98 during the first ODI against Sri Lanka. Shanaka went on to score a hundred but the match was already in Team India's pocket. While Rohit said that he didn't want Shanaka to be dismissed in 'that manner', Ravichandran Ashwin isn't entirely pleased with how the incident's end result.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ashwin maintained that a run-out at the non-striker's end remains a 'legitimate' form of dismissal.
"Of course, Shami's run out. When Shanaka was on 98, Shami ran him out in the non-striker's end, and he appealed too. Rohit withdrew that appeal. So many people tweeted about that immediately. I am going to keep repeating only one thing, guys. The game situation is immaterial. That is a legitimate form of dismissal," said Ashwin.
"And if you ask an lbw appeal, or a caught-behind appeal, nobody will check with the captain on whether they are sure with the appeal like a Sarath Kumar or an Amitabh Bachchan in Kaun Banega Crorepati.
"They will give him out if the bowler appeals and that is the end of it. See, even if one fielder appeals, it is the duty of the umpire to declare a player out if he is out," he added.
Ashwin also targeted the umpires for not following the rulebook as he continued to bat against the taboos that remain in this form of dismissal.
"I find it very surprising to have so many taboos surrounding this mode of dismissal. But the entire dismissal is regarding what the bowler does, right? The right of making that dismissal or making that appeal or making that decision lies with the bowler, right?" Ashwin asserted.
"In so many games, a batter has nicked and walked without waiting for the umpire's decision. At that time, the batting team captain won't come and ask, 'With whose permission did you walk like that? Did you forget the team's cause? Go back and continue playing.' So, these different treatments for bowlers and batters have been taking place for so many years now" he further said.
With a win in the 2nd ODI, India went on to clinch the series 2-0, with one game to spare.