Stump mic blocks a run out as Meg Lanning survives in the tri-series final

The import of technology in cricket matches was meant to make things easier for those who run them. It makes life that much easier for the umpires — both the ground and TV — to detect dismissals, be it in the form of a run-out or nicking the ball. But on Wednesday, technology played out a contradictory role during the final of a three-nation T20 tournament between Indian and Australian women at the Junction Oval, Melbourne.

Australia captain Meg Lanning was taking a quick run and clearly found herself in the danger of not making the crease. Indian fielder Shikha Pandey grabbed the ball and aimed towards the bowler’s end. The ball was quite on track to dismantle the stumps but yet Lanning got a life. How? The loose microphone cover in the stumps came on the incoming throw’s way and the ball got diverted in the impact, allowing Manning to get home safely.

It was in the 14th over of the Australian innings and the Kangaroos were placed at 98 for 2. Lanning (26) did not last too long thereafter and fell in the very next over but the hosts went on to post a total of 155 runs and eventually win the game by 11 runs. For India, only opener Smriti Mandhana scored runs (66) while the rest of the team capitulated easily before Jess Jonassen who claimed five scalps to end the visitors’ innings at 144. The left-arm orthodox was picked the player of the match.

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Commentators were not impressed

The viewers were divided over the incident that gave the Australian skipper a life. Channel Seven commentator Brad Hodge was shocked and said that shouldn’t have happened on the cricket field.

Fellow commentator Elyse Villani was not impressed with Lanning’s ‘cheeky’ run and felt it was against the spirit of the game. “That is where the spirit of cricket comes in as well because you know that when someone has a shot at the stumps and it hits any part of the batter the batter generally doesn’t run again,” she said, adding, “Technically you can but with the spirit of cricket you generally don’t.”

Some viewers felt the Australia batswoman should have walked away following the incident.

Australia, India and England finished on the same points in the league phase but the first two advanced to the final owing to a better net run-rate. This tournament was the final warm-up outing for the teams before the Women’s World Cup T20 starting in Sydney on February 21.