In response to India’s first innings total of 445, the Three Lions launched a rapid assault, led by Ben Duckett’s aggressive century, propelling them to 207 runs in just 35 overs.
However, the spotlight shifted to a unique incident when Duckett narrowly survived an lbw scare, prompted by Rohit Sharma’s theatrical gesture to refer the decision upstairs.
In the 35th over, Ravichandran Ashwin delivered a fuller-length ball aimed at the leg stump, which gripped the surface and turned away from the left-handed Duckett.
Despite attempting to defend on the front foot, Duckett was beaten by the turn, resulting in the ball striking his back pad. The deflection off the thigh sent the ball towards Rohit Sharma at first slip, who dove forward in an effort to claim the catch.
Although Sharma couldn’t complete the catch, he heard appeals for lbw from his teammates and decided to review the decision in a charismatic manner. Lying in a relaxed position, with his body balanced on his stomach, Sharma opted for the review without getting up.
— Jas Pope (@jas_pope93438) February 16, 2024
Despite the TV umpire ruling in favor of “not out” due to the ball pitching outside the leg stump, Twitter users were more fascinated by Sharma’s display of “lazy elegance” in his decision-making process.