England found themselves in a commanding position at Tea on Day 3 in Manchester, with Sri Lanka trailing by 15 runs and effectively down to just five wickets. Each of England’s four pacers claimed a wicket, while Mark Wood added to Sri Lanka’s woes by delivering a fierce bouncer that caused a potentially match-ending injury to Dinesh Chandimal.
With the visitors struggling at 107/4, England felt comfortable enough to enjoy the proceedings, and this relaxed atmosphere led to a comical incident in the 27th over.
Shoaib Bashir was bowling to the seasoned Angelo Mathews, who nudged the second ball of the over for a quick single. Mark Wood, fielding at fine leg, saw a slim chance for a run-out and fired a throw towards the non-striker’s end. However, Bashir, realizing there was no real threat, casually walked back to his mark.
The ball, however, landed near his foot, causing him to turn around, only for it to strike him on the left shin. Bashir let out an agonizing scream and began limping around, but sympathy was in short supply.
Chris Woakes, approaching from mid-off, tried to console the youngster but couldn’t suppress his laughter. His attempt at comfort turned into a burst of laughter right in Bashir’s face as he playfully squeezed his shoulder. Wood soon joined in with a wry smile that quickly turned into a grin, and Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, who had initially covered their mouths in shared shock, were soon laughing along with the rest.
— Gill Bill (@bill_gill76078) August 23, 2024
Bashir, seeing the humor in the situation, waved off Woakes’ attempt at consolation, only to be subjected to more laughter as the umpires began checking for a potential no-ball. Eventually, play resumed, but a broad smile remained on Woakes’ face, much to the amusement of Twitterati.
