It is the form of dismissal that divides opinion in cricket more than any other.
With England requiring 17 runs to win against India and with one wicket left, Charlie Dean was run out at the non-striker’s end as bowler Deepti Sharma stopped in her delivery stride to take the winning wicket.
It is often informally referred to as a Mankad, after Indian batter Vinoo Mankad, who was the first player to enact the type of run out in a Test match.
The wicket was followed by plenty of debate, and took the attention away from Jhulan Goswami’s farewell to international cricket and India’s 3-0 one-day international whitewash of England, which culminated at Lord’s as England were bowled out for 153 chasing 170.
“It divides opinion. I’m not a fan, but it is how India feel about it,” said England captain Amy Jones. “It is in the rules, and hopefully it doesn’t take the shine off a good summer and good series.
“Dean didn’t look like getting out in any other way.”
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who was named player of the series, defended her team-mate’s decision.
“I thought you would ask about the first nine wickets because they were not easy to take. It’s part of the game. I don’t think we’ve done something new. It’s ICC rules,” she said.
“I think it shows awareness of what the batters are doing and I will back my players.”
Many think the dismissal, which has only happened four times in men’s ODI cricket and never before in women’s, is against the spirit of cricket, with an expectation among some players that a bowler should give the batter a warning first if they feel they are wandering out of their crease.
“Has that not just left the sourest taste in the mouth at the end of this international summer? I’m dumbfounded,” said England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss 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.”
England’s players were visibly unimpressed with the dismissal and Dean, who was just three runs away from her maiden international half-century, was left in tears at the end of the game.
“I don’t really know how I feel about it because I don’t think it’s in the spirit of the game,” said former England spinner Alex Hartley on BBC Test Match Special.
“I can’t believe it’s happened but I can believe it’s happened, and that it is Deepti Sharma.
“She always, always threatens to do it so as a team you’ll talk about it. England have got a lot closer than India would have expected and she’s actually done it.
“I just don’t think that’s how you should finish an international game. England are going to be absolutely seething.
“I was waiting for India to win this game, for England to make a mistake and India to win it outright.”
England bowler Kate Cross, who took 4-29 to help bowl India out for 169, said that it was India’s choice, but she would not personally have done it.
“Ultimately, it is Deepti’s choice how she goes about that, and we’ve lost that game of cricket,” said Cross.
“What we did say in the dressing room is that we didn’t lose the game because of that last wicket. We are disappointed that we lost the match more than anything.
“It’s a dismissal that is always going to divide opinion and that’s all that is ever going to get said about it. Some people are going to like it, some people aren’t and Deepti chose to dismiss Charlie Dean that way.
“I’m more disappointed for Charlie that she couldn’t get a fifty at Lord’s today because she looked set to do that and if we’re looking at the real positives, perhaps that’s the only way they could get Deano out. So, I’m just disappointed for her.”
But could this dismissal cause a rift between the two teams going forward? Test Match Special’s Daniel Norcross thinks so.
“This will feel tremendously sour,” said Norcross. “I can’t tell you what ill feeling this is going to create between the two sides.”
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