Smriti Mandhan’s controversial dismissal

Smriti Mandhana, India’s vice-captain, faced an unexpected dismissal during the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final against Australia in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. Her innings of 24 runs from 24 balls, which included two fours and a six, came to an end following a controversial DRS decision.The incident occurred on the second ball of the 10th over when Kim Garth delivered a ball down the leg side. The on-field umpire initially called it a wide, with neither Australian wicketkeeper-captain Alyssa Healy nor bowler Garth showing complete confidence in an edge.Healy decided to use DRS with just three seconds remaining on the review timer. Mandhana appeared confident there was no contact, showing this through her head movements and smile.During the review process, both Mandhana and her batting partner Jemimah Rodrigues waited at the pitch. The UltraEdge technology took some time to load, while Mandhana maintained her composure, consistently indicating she hadn’t touched the ball.“Bat nahi laga,” Mandhana told Rodrigues and the umpire, expressing her disbelief when the UltraEdge showed a clear spike as the ball passed her bat.Click here to watch the full clip of Smriti Mandhana’s dismissalThe evidence led to her dismissal, causing visible shock among the Indian team members. She departed slowly to the pavilion, continuing to shake her head in disagreement with the decision.This wicket proved crucial for Australia in their defence of 340 runs. India’s strategy had relied heavily on Mandhana’s aggressive start to build momentum for their challenging run chase in this crucial match, with the winners set to face South Africa in the final.The Australian team celebrated this significant breakthrough, achieved through their last-moment decision to review the initial not-out call. The dismissal came at a critical time when India was attempting to establish a strong foundation for their innings.