On Monday in Colombo, India had a remarkable day thanks to the outstanding performances of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, who helped them amass a formidable total of 357 runs. Upon his return to ODI cricket, Jasprit Bumrah made an immediate impact by claiming an early wicket.
The Indian team seemed poised to further increase their wicket count when Mohammad Siraj delivered an exceptional display of new ball bowling. However, their hopes were dashed when the Decision Review System (DRS) revealed that Fakhar Zaman had narrowly avoided being dismissed.
In the eighth over, the right-arm quick confronted the opening batsman and delivered the fourth ball just back of a length, causing it to move slightly after pitching. This subtle movement was sufficient to deceive the left-handed batsman, who failed to connect with the ball as it struck the edge of his bat.
The Indian team erupted in a vociferous appeal, but the umpire remained unmoved. Nevertheless, skipper Rohit Sharma wasted no time in requesting a review of the decision. After the first replay, the Indian players displayed visible confidence, believing they had their man, only to be left crestfallen by the Hawk Eye technology.
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The ball tracking revealed that the ball had pitched just outside the leg stump, with the seam of the white ball narrowly missing the hypothetical line running down the middle of the pitch. Siraj appeared utterly astonished by the decision, his eyes wide with disbelief, a sentiment shared by his teammate Hardik Pandya, who openly expressed his frustration at the incredibly close call.