Harmanpreet Kaur and Alyssa Healy’s verbal sparring takes centre stage during one-off Test

The spotlight shifted from the cricketing action to a heated on-field exchange between the captains, Harmanpreet Kaur and Alyssa Healy, as India women clashed with Australian women in the one-off Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. This match, part of an all-format series, holds significance as India seek its first-ever victory over Australia in the Test format.

Tensions escalated on Day 3 when Kaur, leading India, confronted Healy during the second innings. The drama unfolded when Kaur bowled a fuller delivery in her fourth over, defended by Healy. Sensing an opportunity, Kaur fired the ball directly at Healy as she ventured out of her crease. The ball struck Healy’s bat, resulting in a contentious four runs. Kaur appealed for obstructing the field, but the umpires dismissed the plea, granting Australia the additional runs.

Watch the video here:

https://twitter.com/rameshwarsunth1/status/1738552503481090314

What does the rule say?

However, let’s take a look at what MCC’s law 37.1 says, “Either batter is out Obstructing the field if, he/she wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action. A batter shall not be out Obstructing the field if the obstruction or distraction is accidental, or the obstruction is in order to avoid injury, or in the case of the striker, he/she makes a second or subsequent strike to guard his/her wicket lawfully.” quoted by India.com.

The on-field verbal sparring between Kaur and Healy added intensity to the moment. However, the cricketing gods seemed to favour Kaur, as Healy fell victim to an LBW dismissal on the very next delivery. Despite Healy’s unsuccessful review attempt, Australia managed to stay competitive by claiming three early Indian wickets and amassing 233 runs. With a lead of 46 runs and five wickets in hand, the visitors kept the game finely poised, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this captivating Test match.