Should Brendan Taylor have been given out hit-wicket?
The Bangladeshi fielders appealed for hit wicket and on-field umpire Marais Erasmus referred it to the TV umpire Langton Rusere who decided in favour of the fielding side.
Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor, in the second ODI against Bangladesh, got out in the most bizarre way possible.
Taylor attempted a ramp over the keeper's head but missed out.
The right-hander swung his bat casually after shadow-practicing the shot.
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The bat, unfortunately, clipped the stumps and the bails were dislodged.
The Bangladeshi fielders appealed for hit wicket and on-field umpire Marais Erasmus referred it to the TV umpire Langton Rusere who decided in favour of the fielding side.
Law 35.1.1.1 suggests that a batter will be adjudged out if he puts the wicket down with the bat or any part of his body while preparing to receive a delivery.
As per Law 35.2, the batter won't be out if he disturbs the wickets after receiving the delivery unless he is setting off for a run or lawfully making a second stroke to protect his wicket.
The dead-ball law states that the ball is dead when the ball is 'finally' settled in the wicketkeeper's gloves or in the hands of the bowler.
The ball was of course in Liton Das' gloves before Taylor's bat hit the stumps.
But only the umpire had the authority to decide whether the ball was dead or not.
Similarly, it was the umpire who was to decide if Taylor's action was part of his follow-through or it was a separate action.
So the umpire had two things to ponder- whether Taylor's action was part of his follow-through or not and whether the ball was dead or not. Rusere gave the decision in favour of Bangladesh.
The decision has been viewed as a controversial one with former Zimbabwe player and cricket commentator Pommie Mbangwa saying it should have been not out.
Taylor became only the fourth batter in ODIs to get out hit-wicket against Bangladesh.
