India faced an uphill battle on Day 4 to avoid the follow-on after losing Rohit Sharma early and stumbling to 74/5 in reply to Australia’s imposing first-innings total of 445. KL Rahul’s dismissal for 84 to Nathan Lyon further dented India’s chances, but Ravindra Jadeja’s composed half-century kept hopes alive.
The team edged closer to the target, reducing the deficit to 51 runs before Nitish Kumar Reddy was undone by a Pat Cummins in-ducker after a gritty 16. Mohammed Siraj then walked in, tasked with simply holding his end while Jadeja continued to accumulate runs.
However, what followed was an unexpected moment of chaos and confusion in the middle. On the penultimate ball of the 62nd over, Cummins bowled a length delivery that seamed in and struck Siraj on the thigh, rolling into the vacant offside.
Without hesitation, Siraj called for a single and charged down the pitch, unaware that his partner had not immediately responded. By the time Siraj realized Jadeja’s hesitation, he had already covered 10 yards.
A frantic turnaround and a desperate dive ensued, but fortune favored him as Cummins’ throw sailed wide, missing the stumps and the backup fielder, allowing India a single through overthrows.
The incident, however, left Jadeja visibly frustrated. With only one ball left to retain the strike, Jadeja slowed to a walk while passing Siraj, clearly annoyed by the miscommunication.
A tense exchange of words appeared to follow before Jadeja broke into a final sprint, ensuring he avoided any further mishap.Fortunately for India, the players walked off three deliveries later as rain intervened.
— DJ Sinha (@sdj374531) December 17, 2024
Yet, the drama had already taken over social media, with Twitter abuzz over the bizarre mix-up and Jadeja’s evident frustration.