During the 2nd Test between India and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, a video surfaced on all social media where Sarfaraz Khan was seen begging for a review. This moment, which happened on Day 1 in the third session, has caught everyone’s attention because of Ashwin’s clever bowling and the sharp thinking of fielder Sarfaraz Khan.
In New Zealand’s first innings, Ashwin bowled a delivery that seemed to miss both Will Young’s bat and gloves. The ball went straight into wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s gloves. At first, neither Ashwin nor Pant and even captain Rohit Sharma believed there was any contact. It appeared like the ball had missed everything. However, Sarfaraz Khan, standing at leg slip, immediately urged Rohit to go for a review.
Sarfaraz’s quick decision turned out to be correct. Though the rest of the team was unsure, Sharma trusted Sarfaraz and called for a review. The snickometer, used to check for edges, revealed that the ball had slightly touched Young’s glove. This gave Ashwin his third wicket of the match, sending Will Young back to the pavilion after scoring 18 runs from 45 balls.
This was a crucial moment as it stopped New Zealand’s progress. Young and Tom Latham had been building a good partnership, but thanks to Sarfaraz’s awareness and Ashwin’s skillful bowling, India gained an important breakthrough.
At the time Will Young was dismissed, New Zealand had scored 204 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 63.2 overs. Captain Tom Latham had already been dismissed for 152 by Ashwin (lbw), while Devon Conway was also sent back after scoring 76, caught by Pant off Ashwin’s bowling. Washington Sundar also contributed by taking two important wickets, including New Zealand’s wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
By the end of Day 1, New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell (18) and Glenn Phillips (14) were at the crease, trying to steady their innings.
