Deepti Sharma’s ‘Mankad’ dismissal of Charlie Dean: All about the controversy

Deepti Sharma’s run out of Charlie Dean in the third ODI was entirely legal according to the ICC rulebook, but it didn’t stop people from having different reactions. Some Englishmen, like Stuart Broad and James Anderson, expressed their displeasure while others supported it.

The Indian women’s team defeated England at Lord’s to win the three-match series and bid Jhulan Goswami farewell on Saturday.

Also read: Jhulan Goswami retirement: 5 best bowling performances

A debate was started when spinner Deepti ran out Charlie Dean to get England’s final wicket after the batter had backed up.

When Sharma paused in the middle of her bowling motion to run out the batter for 47 runs with the target only 17 runs away, Dean was backing up. The dismissal complies fully with the rules of the game.

Also read: Jhulan Goswami retirement: Career in numbers

“I find the debate of the Mankad really interesting. So many views from either side. I personally wouldn’t like to win a match like that, also, very happy for others to feel differently,” Broad tweeted.

Broad’s longtime teammate and leading wicket-taker among pacers, Anderson said, “Will never understand why players feel the need to do this. Is she stealing ground?”

Another English player, Sam Billings, wrote on his Twitter handle, “There’s surely not a person who has played the game that thinks this is acceptable? Just not cricket …”

However, many also came in support of the dismissal with former India opener Virender Sehwag calling some English players “poor losers”.

“Funny to see so many English guys being poor losers,” Sehwag tweeted.

In another tweet, he congratulated the Indian team for its fitting farewell to veteran seamer Jhulan.

“Fantastic win for the Indian Girls. A fitting tribute to Jhulan Goswami with a series win. Well done @BCCIWomen.” Leading India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has often objected to these kind of run outs been termed ‘Mankading’ (named after former India player Vinoo Mankad), also backed the Indian team.

“Why the hell are you trending Ashwin? Tonight is about another bowling hero @Deepti_Sharma06,” he tweeted.

“Congratulations to one of India’s finest cricketers, @JhulanG10 well done on a wonderful career and of course needless to say that you inspired so many girls to take up the sport. Good luck to you as you move towards a new chapter in life,” Ashwin wrote in another tweet.

When India was put in to bat, they were all out for a pitiful 169, and it appeared like the tourists would have come far short of giving their great seamer, who is retiring after 20 years of outstanding service to the game, a match to remember.

However, the Indians narrowly prevailed because Dean (47) was ruled to have been run out for backing up.

When the hosts were reeling at 65 for 7 and then 103 for 8, Dean, who was on the verge of pulling off a surprise victory for the hosts, was out of her area, Deepti just held the ball to remove the bails, confounding the English.

Also read: Jhulan Goswami receives guard Of honour from England players in her last ODI

Although it has always been a lawful method of dismissal, the ICC recently changed the terms of the game and changed this type of dismissal from “unfair play” to “run out”.

According to MCC Law 41.16.1, “If the non-striker is out of his/her ground at any time from the moment the ball comes into play until the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the non-striker is liable to be run out.

“In these circumstances, the non-striker will be out run out if he/she is out of his/her ground when his/her wicket is put down by the bowler throwing the ball at the stumps or by the bowler’s hand holding the ball, whether or not the ball is subsequently delivered.”