Australia’s Matt Renshaw spoke to captain Steve Smith before retiring hurt. (Source: Reuters)
The first session of play between India and Australia witnessed a strange moment as opener Matthew Renshaw scampered back to the pavilion, due to a stomach upset.
There was a bit of confusion on field, when Renshaw appeared to request for some time off. However, he was flatly refused by the umpire as giving a break is not a part of cricketing rules and Renshaw had to retire ill. Captain Steven Smith was then joined by another batsman Shaun Marsh and Australia had two new batsmen at the crease.
However, this incident has not gone down well with former Australian skipper Allan Border who questioned Renshaw’s temperament and lambasted him for his attitude.
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It may be recalled here that Allan Border had famously refused to allow Dean Jones to retire with dehydration during his epic double-century in the tied Test in Chennai in 1986.
Border said, “I hope he’s lying on the table in there half dead. Otherwise, as captain, I would not be happy,” he told Fox Sports.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before. He’s obviously just got an upset stomach to some degree and he was probably trying to use the situation where David Warner had just been dismissed to race off the ground and go to the toilet.
“What happened in the ensuring time there, I can’t ever think of a situation like that that’s happened before where someone’s gone off because they’re a bit ill.
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“If David Warner hadn’t got out then he wouldn’t have even thought about it. It’s a bit of an odd situation. He probably thought he had time to race off the ground and get back on while the new batsman was coming out to the crease.
“I can tell you what, if Shaun Marsh was dismissed in those last 15 minutes I would’ve been ropeable as captain.”
Matt Renshaw becomes the youngest Australian to score 50+ in a Test in Asia (20y 332d); previously Rick Darling (22y 154d) in 1979 #INDvAUS
— Fox Sports Lab (@FoxSportsLab) 23 February 2017
Fortunately for Marsh was not dismissed until after the break, and Renshaw resumed his innings on 36, at the fall of the third wicket in the 60th over.
The rules of the game state that if a batsman falls ill or gets injured while batting, he may retire with the umpires permission. But he can only back to bat after a wicket falls and till then wait in the pavilion. At the end of the teams innings, if this batsman does not return to bat, he is considered ‘Retired Hurt’ and is considered not-out.
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