Controversy engulfs UP - Baroda clash

A match shorn of almost any animation had a moment of high drama when Himanshu Jadhav was given out for obstructing the field in bizarre circumstances. A firm push off Piyush Chawla hit the silly point fielder, touched the ground and was on its way towards the stumps, when Jadhav, still in the crease, caught the ball. The fielders went up in appeal instantly and the on-field umpires asked Mohammad Kaif, the UP captain, if he wanted to carry on with the appeal. When Kaif raised his arms in assent, the umpires had no choice but to give Jadhav out.

The dismissal propelled Jadhav into a list that includes Rameez Raja, Mohinder Amarnath and Inzamam-ul-Haq but a fuming Jadhav clearly didn't appreciate the dubious honour. And, unlike the latest such dismissal - Inzamam's against India during the Peshawar one-dayer last year - the team too reacted angrily. The immediate reaction from the Baroda dressing room was to question Kaif's sporting spirit for appealing and continuing with it.

The incident led to some chaos, which was amplified by the fact that the stadium had lost the television feed and few apart from those directly involved had an immediate idea of what had happened.

Umpire Ivaturi Sivram later said they had no option but to ask Kaif if he wanted to continue with the appeal and uphold it if he did, as technically it was out. The Law 37 is clear on the issue. "Either batsman is out obstructing the field if he wilfully obstructs or distracts the opposing side by word or action. It shall be regarded as obstruction if either batsman wilfully, and without the consent of the fielding side, strikes the ball with his bat or person, other than a hand not holding the bat, after the ball has touched a fielder." The last bit about his being allowed to hold it with the hand not holding the bat confuses, but that only applies after the batsman has taken the permission from the opposition.

There is probably no place for the unwritten rule for a team fighting relegation, as UP are. Jadhav was not attempting a run; there was no intention to prevent a run-out, but there was a wicket for the taking nonetheless. Last month, Muttiah Muralitharan famously fell to the written rule when he trod off to congratulate Kumar Sangakkara after completing a single that had brought up Sangakkara's century; the ball was still in play, and Murali was run-out.

A day later, when Baroda have secured first-innings points from the game and, most probably, a place in the semi-finals, Jadhav, as Inzamam did in Peshawar after winning the match, will laugh at his naivete in catching the ball while still alive.