Chris Gayle on Thursday against Australia took DRS 3 times, out of which he was 2 times lucky
For once, it was not monstrous sixes, booming lofted hits down the ground or flat-batted slaps square on the offside that dotted a Chris Gayle innings.
Instead, the West Indies opener’s 17-ball 21 against Australia in World Cup 2019 was marked by a series of happenings which ended in him being given out off what could have been a free-hit.
#REVIEW NO. 1
In the third over he was given out when the umpire heard a noise as a fuller delivery sailed past Gayle’s drive and into the keeper’s hand.
Gayle challenged immediately and the replays showed the ball had hit the stumps but failed to knock the bails off. The decision was reversed and Gayle survived.
#REVIEW NO. 2
Then on the last ball of the same over, Starc thought he got Gayle this time with a vicious yorker. Umpire gave him out, leg before. But Gayle went for the DRS again.
This time the review said the ball was drifting down leg and Gayle got his second extra life.
#REVIEW NO. 3
In the fifth over, another fuller one slipped in quick before Gayle could get to it and hit him on the pads. The umpire declared him out for the third time. Gayle, after some deliberation this time, went for a third DRS appeal.
But this time the review showed the ball was clipping leg stump and referred to the umpire’s original call, thus ending Gayle’s luck with reviews and his innings.
Interestingly, the ball before the one that got him out was a massive no ball that the on-field umpire failed to catch. So Gayle could still feel hard done by.
