After India opted to field first on a batting-friendly pitch in Visakhapatnam, Australia had a modest powerplay score of 40/1, with Steve Smith facing difficulties at one end.
However, Josh Inglis showcased his batting prowess, putting pressure on the Indian bowlers. Unfortunately, Smith struggled to complement Inglis’ form, scoring slowly and laboriously. Despite their partnership of 130 runs for the second wicket, Inglis amusingly ended Smith’s scratchy innings.
In the penultimate delivery of the 16th over, Smith mistimed a pull shot towards short fine leg from Mukesh Kumar’s delivery outside the off stump, leading to a loss of balance.
Simultaneously, Inglis, aiming to regain strike, sprinted towards the striker’s end. Realizing Inglis was more than halfway down the pitch, Smith recovered and raced towards the bowler’s end. However, Mukesh swiftly collected the ball and flicked it onto the stumps, dismissing Smith.
— virat Sharma (@viratSharm69964) November 23, 2023
Fans cynically suggested that Inglis’ call for a run resulting in Smith’s dismissal was intentional, insinuating that the wicket-keeper batter did so to boost Australia’s scoring rate.