The Mankad debate has exploded once more with arguably the most controversial one the game has seen.
England was clinging on to the hope of a stunning one-wicket victory at Lord’s when it needed 17 runs from 39 balls to beat India at in the third ODI.
That’s when England’s Charlie Dean was run-out at the non-striker’s end by Deepti Sharma, who pretended to bowl the ball, didn’t, and whipped off the bails when the batter left her crease.
It gave India the match win, and left Dean in tears.
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‘ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC’: All-time cricket furore as ‘shameful’ act leaves star in tears
Sharma was in her right to perform the move. It was only this week the International Cricket Council reiterated the dismissal, known as a “Mankad” after India’s Vinoo Mankad, who ran out Australia batsman Bill Brown backing up in a 1948 Test in Sydney, was completely legitimate.
But the overwhelming opinion is that it remains as an act that’s not in the spirit of the game.
“Has that not just left the sourest taste in the mouth at the end of this international summer? I’m dumbfounded,” England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss said on BBC Test Match Special.
“I cannot believe the Indian team felt that was the only way they were going to get a wicket. I don’t think Charlie Dean was trying to gain any sort of advantage. It’s ridiculous.
“For me, Harmanpreet Kaur has got to look at her side and think, ‘is that how we want to win games of cricket?’ Can she not withdraw that appeal?
“It’s taken the shine off Jhulan Goswami’s big send-off. She’s doing the lap of honour but everyone else in the ground is just stunned at how it’s finished.”
Former England spinner Alex Hartley said she didn’t “know how to feel about it”, but said it wasn’t in the spirit of the game.
She added: “I just don’t think that’s how you should finish an international game. England are going to be absolutely seething.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Norcross said on Test Match Special that the incident will create bad blood between the two nations for a long time.
“This will feel tremendously sour,” Norcross said. “I can’t tell you what ill feeling this is going to create between the two sides.”
India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur defended the act, however, saying: “I don’t think it was any crime, it’s part of the game.
“It shows your awareness of what batters are doing. I will back my players – she hasn’t done something outside the rules.”
England’s Kate Cross said: “Ultimately it is Deepti’s choice how she goes about that. If you’re talking about the spirit of cricket, I thought that (shaking hands) was brilliant from Deano.”
