The second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand in Mirpur took an unexpected turn on its first day as Mushfiqur Rahim found himself etching his name in the history books. In a rare occurrence, the seasoned Bangladesh batter became the first in his country to be given out, obstructing the field in Test cricket.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s dismissal came in the 41st over, leaving cricket enthusiasts in awe and disbelief. The sequence leading to his departure involved defending a delivery from Kyle Jamieson into the ground and then, unusually, swatting the ball away with his right hand after it had bounced up wide outside the off stump. The New Zealand team, quick to react, appealed, and the TV umpire Ahsan Raza upheld the decision.
Such dismissals were previously categorized as “handled the ball,” but a significant change in the laws in 2017 saw the removal of this category. Instead, it was incorporated under “obstructing the field,” as outlined in Law 37.1.2. According to this law, the striker is out obstructing the field if, while receiving a ball delivered by the bowler, they wilfully strike it with a hand not holding the bat.
Interestinattemptshfiqur’s dismissal wasn’t the first time he had attempted to touch the ball with his glove during his innings in Mirpur. In the 29th over, immediately after lunch, he had tried to knock the ball away from the stumps with his right hand but failed to make contact.
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The critical aspect of this dismissal revolves around the “act of receiving the ball,” extending to playing at the ball and striking the ball more than once in defence of the wicket. Mushfiqur’s unconventional attempt to swat the ball led to an attempt that added a unique chapter to Test cricket.
The wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim came against the run of play, disrupting a promising partnership with Shahadat Hossain. The duo had added 57 runs for the fifth wicket, steering Bangladesh from a precarious position of 47 for 4 to a more stable 104 for 5.
