During India’s pursuit of a 277-run target in the first ODI against Australia, they encountered a challenging moment. After a solid opening partnership of 141 runs between Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad, India lost three quick wickets.
Ishan Kishan entered the fray with the scoreboard showing 151/3 and decided to launch a counter-attack to rescue India from their predicament. However, this decision almost resulted in an unexpected mishap involving the umpire.
In the 28th over of the match, Adam Zampa bowled a full delivery targeting the middle and off stumps. Kishan responded with a thunderous stroke of his bat. The shot was struck with such force that even the umpire, KN Ananthapadmanabhan, found himself unable to react in time.
In a heart-stopping turn of events, the umpire, in an effort to avoid the speeding cricket ball, stumbled and tumbled to the ground to prevent an unintended collision. Fortunately, Zampa instinctively extended his hand just in the nick of time, deflecting the Kookaburra ball away from the official.
— Ishan Martinez (@IshanMarti66419) September 22, 2023
After regaining his balance, the umpire couldn’t help but chuckle at the situation. This incident quickly gained attention on Twitter, where cricket enthusiasts shared humorous reactions and memes in response.
