Coming in to bat after Hardik Pandya’s wicket fell in the 15.1 overs when India needed a good finish at 130 for 4, Karthik started off well with a nice flick for a boundary, but just as he looked set to pull off a customary DK finish, there was heartbreak for him and the near-capacity crowd at the Adelaide Oval.
Virat Kohli hit the last ball of the 17th over towards extra cover and took a couple of steps. Karthik took off at full speed, but Kohli quickly raised his hand to send him back. The veteran keeper-batter gave it his all, even diving to get home, but it wasn’t to be. But there was drama in Karthik’s dismissal.
After only a few replays, the third umpire determined that the ball had struck the stumps before the bowler’s hands and declared Karthik run-out. Replays, on the other hand, seemed to tell a slightly different story.
Yes, the ball clearly hit the stumps first, but whether that impact actually dislodged the bails or if it was the bowler’s hands was debatable. Nonetheless, Karthik had to walk back for 7 kilometers.
