The Ashes 2023

‘Aap baashan dena badh karo’- Fans react as Stuart Broad reveals conversation with Kumar Dharmasena on Steve Smith’s run out in Ashes 2023

Steve Smith made 71 off 123 balls with six fours.
Stuart Broad and Kumar Dharmasena
Stuart Broad and Kumar Dharmasena (Source: Twitter)

Day 2 of the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval between England and Australia was nothing short of drama. Australia survived a close call when they were still short of England’s target by 85 runs. Against the run of play, a well-aimed throw from sub-fielder George Ealham was taken by Jonny Bairstow and the bails were whipped off. In realtime it looked like Steve Smith was out but upon close examination of the replay, the third umpire Nitin Menon found out that the bails were dislodged by Bairstow before catching the ball.

Smith came back and made a vital 71 off 123 balls with six fours. Australia finished at 295 in reply to England’s 283 with a slender lead of 12 runs. The Marylebone Cricket Club issued clarification on the run-out which had cooked up a huge storm on social media. Later after the day’s play, Stuart Broad talked about the chat he had with umpire Kumar Dharmasena. At the press conference after the end of the play, Broad himself was confused about the rules before he got it clarified by the umpire.

“It looked very close” – Steve Smith on the run out at the Oval 

“I honestly don’t know the rules,” Broad said. “I think there was enough grey area to give that not out. It looked like the benefit of the doubt sort of stuff, first angle I saw I thought out, and then the side angle it looked like the bails probably dislodged. Kumar said to me if it were zing bails it would be given out, I don’t really understand the reasoning why.” Broad said.

Smith also talked about his take on the issue, when he said he was a goner when he looked at the replay. “I saw the initial replay and saw the bail come up, and when I looked at it the second time looked like Jonny might have knocked the bail before the ball had come,” he said. “Looked pretty close at that stage, if the ball had hit at the initial stage when the bail came then think I was well out of my ground,”Smith said.

Let us take a look at the reactions on Twitter:

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