Charlotte Dean in tears as bowler Deepti Sharma runs her out for leaving the non-striker’s end before ball was bowled to win the match

Jhulan Goswami’s last game for India will be remembered for more than her grand farewell, when she was hoed up on her team-mate’s shoulders. A moment to be celebrated was met with boos, but it wasn’t for her, but for what transpired just a moment ago.
Chasing 170, England were tottering at 119 for 9 but were pulled out of the hole Charlotte Dean (47) and the last batter Freya Davies. They reached 153, looking in control, as the game hurtled towards a thrilling finish.
It happenned then. Deepti Sharma, the off spinner, pulled out of from finishing her action in the fourth ball of the 44th over as she spotted Charlotte rush out of the crease before she had released the ball.
Calmly, she took off the bails even as the umpire seemingly was signalling a dead ball. India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur joined her from mid-off and in a moment it was clear that Indians were staying with the appeal.
The umpires went upstairs for the TV umpire to have a look.
Even as the voice could be heard in the broadcast, “TV umpire to director: Give the best side-on angle, please.” A replay was enough. “ I have made my decision for the big screen,” said the TV umpire. And the big screen flashed Out.
Nasser Hussain was on air and said, “It would be debated for a long time but it’s in the law of the games. It states that you can be run out. Remember it’s in the laws of the game.”
Just last week the ICC had made a few changes to be in effect from October 1st. Running out of the non-striker, was one of them.
No need to associate the name of a bowler to this. You can simply call it a run-out now.
The new Playing Conditions l the act of a bowler attempting a run out at the non-striker’s end under the ‘Run Out’ section (Law 38). Previously, this was led under ‘Unfair Play’ (Law 41).
Referred to as ‘Mankading’ after the former Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad, who had dismissed Bill Brown twice removing the bails when he was outside the crease at the non-striker’s end during the India tour of Australia, the act has been much maligned in the cricket realm.
Earlier, Law 41.16 in the MCC book of laws pertaining to the “Non-striker leaving his/her ground early,” stated: “If the non-striker is out of his/her ground at any time from the moment the ball comes into play until the instant when the bowler would normally have been expected to release the ball, the non-striker is liable to be run out.” This however, is the updated version of the code from 2017. The language was changed from the “Bowler attempting to run out non-striker before delivery” to “Non-striker leaving their ground early” in order to put the “onus on the non-striker to remain in their ground.”
You may have heard the term, ‘Spirit of Cricket’ during discussions about a bowler running out the batter if he/she saw them leave the crease before the delivery being bowled. That’s because it is mentioned in MCC’s Law 41. That the instance above would now be dealt with under the ‘Run Out’ category means the custodians of the game’s law have called it for what it is.
And as soon as the big screen flashed out, and a teary Charlotte sportingly came over to shake hands and accepted pats on her back from the Indians, Jhulan Goswami was hoed up on the shoulder.
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