AUS-W vs IND-W: Punam Raut showcases remarkable sportsman spirit, leaves the field after being adjudged not out

In what can be called a remarkable display of sportsman spirit, Punam Raut walked off the field despite the umpire giving the decision in her favour. It all happened during the ongoing women’s Test between India and Australia at the Carrara Oval in Queensland. Raut, who showcased brilliant application, was batting on 36 when left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux appealed for a caught behind.

Although the umpire turned down the plea of Australian fielders, Raut astonishingly left the field knowing she has edged the ball. It was a full-length delivery that went right past Raut’s bat. Interestingly, Australian and fielders including Molineux didn’t appeal very convincingly. Furthermore, there’s no DRS (Decision Review System) in this series. Hence, the Indian batter could have prolonged her stay at the crease without any hassle.

Punam Raut scored 36 off 165 deliveries

However, she chose to leave the field and even the Aussies were left stunned. Overall, Raut scored 36 off 165 deliveries which includes a couple of boundaries. With cricket matches between India and Australia being high-profile, Punam Raut’s act became a talk of the town and social media got flooded with praises.

Coming to the proceedings of the contest, the coin landed in Australia’s favour and they decided to bowl. India’s top-order embraced the challenge brilliantly, giving the home team a hard time. Opener Smriti Mandhana was brilliant in particular as she played some delightful shots and notched up a sensational century.

Overall, she scored 127 off 216 deliveries. Besides her, Shafali Verma scored an impressive 31 as the openers added 93 for the first wicket. Coming to bat at number three, Raut also showcased remarkable resilience and looked all set to register a significant score. However, her innings famously ended at 36. Nevertheless, the likes of skipper Mithali Raj, Yastika Bhatia and Deepti Sharma are yet to be dismissed.

Hence, the Aussie bowlers can’t afford to put their guards down. With this game being the only Test of the tour, both teams have all the reasons to unleash their A-game. Notably, the preceding ODI series saw Australia emerging victorious 2-1. However, India have dominated this Test match so far and it would be interesting to see how the remaining game pans out.