WI vs SL: WATCH – Danushka Gunathilaka got out bizarrely while obstructing field during the first ODI

WI vs SL: WATCH – Danushka Gunathilaka got out bizarrely while obstructing field during the first ODI

Danushka Gunathilaka got out obstructing the field

Danushka Gunathilaka during the maiden ODI against WI
Danushka Gunathilaka during the maiden ODI against WI

The West Indies cricket team registered a one-sided victory over Sri Lanka during the maiden One Day International (ODI) game at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua. However, a bizarre incident took place during the match where Sri Lankan opener Danushka Gunathilaka got out while obstructing the field. 

Gunathilaka was batting well at 55 from 61 deliveries before he got out during the 22nd over off West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard. He had claimed the wicket of SL captain Dimuth Karunaratne in the same over after claiming an acrobatic catch off his own bowling. 

Coming to Gunathilaka’s dismissal, Pollard bowled a short ball which he fended away. Pathum Nissanka at the non-striker’s end set off for a single but Gunathilaka sent him back and stepped back into his own crease. While facing the delivery, the batsman had advanced down the pitch and he stepped on the ball while moving backwards.

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Pollard immediately appealed and the on-field umpire Joe Wilson gave a soft signal of out. The third umpire Nigel Duguid ruled that Gunathilaka had ‘deliberately’ attempted to foil the run-out. There seemed to be some conclusive evidence that the batsman had acted purposely. Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan opener became the 11th batsman in ODI history to get out in a similar fashion.

Here is the video of this incident:

https://twitter.com/ArjunNamboo/status/1369677212094373892

Soon after this dismissal, the cricket fraternity split in two halves with different opinions on either side. Some came in support of Gunathilaka while the rest criticized him for this deliberate act.

Here are some of the top tweets:

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