India wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan was at the receiving end of some flak from commentators Sunil Gavaskar and Murali Kartik for his antics during the first ODI between India and New Zealand at Hyderabad on Wednesday as the hosts won the encounter by 12 runs in a tightly fought contest.
New Zealand almost chased down the 350-run target thanks to Michael Bracewell’s 140 and Mitchell Santner’s 57 runs and their 160-run partnership for the seventh wicket. But Indian bowlers kept their calm despite the carnage by Bracewell and eventually kept the visitors to 337 runs.
Mohammed Siraj picked 4/46, while Kuldeep Yadav and Shardul Thakur took two wickets apiece.
Earlier, thanks to a scintillating 208 from Shubman Gill who hit 19 fours and 9 sixes in his knock, and contributions from Rohit Sharma (34), Suryakumar Yadav (31), and Hardik Pandya (28), India posted 349/8 in 50 overs.
However, there was an incident during the New Zealand innings, when Ishan Kishan opted to have some fun, trying to trick Latham into believing that perhaps New Zealander was out hit-wicket as the red light flickered, but the replay showed that it was Ishan who had whipped off the bails.
Latham had placed Kuldeep’s delivery to short mid-wicket where Rohit Sharma collected it, the Indians went up in a huge appeal. Rohit raised his arms in appeal, while Kuldeep looked excited too.
The camera then panned towards Latham who was confused, whereas Ishan looked up towards the square leg umpire hoping he will ask the official upstairs.
However, replays showed that Ishan Kishan had flicked the bails with his gloves after Latham completed the shot.
However, on-air commentators Sunil Gavaskar and Murali Kartik were not happy with Kishan’s decision to appeal for a dismissal.
"As a joke, it was ok. But then to go and appeal, don't think that is the right thing to do. As a joke to maybe say or suggest to Tom Latham that what had happened earlier on when India were batting... that is understandable. But not to appeal. That is not on. That is not cricket," said Gavaskar on commentary on Star Sports.
"You can appeal all you want, but that is not the right thing," a visibly upset Kartik said on air.
Ishan might have decided to prank Latham after what happened earlier when Hardik Pandya was given out bowled by the TV umpire despite replays suggesting it was wicketkeeper Latham’s gloves which dislodged the bails and not the ball on its way to the keeper.
Hardik was trying to nudge a delivery from Mitchell towards the third man, but the ball missed the bat and the bails by some distance after it settled in the gloves of Latham, the off-bail fell onto the floor and New Zealanders appealed.
The decision was sent upstairs where multiple replays from different angles showed the reality, but the umpire decided to give Pandya out in a decision that was termed 'bad' and 'poor'.
