Published: Jul 09, 2011, 04:49 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 21, 2014, 07:48 PM (IST)
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
VVS Laxman’s bizarre stumping in the third Test at Dominica invoked some sympathy, a little laughter if you are a not an Indian fan and a bit of frustration if you are an Indian supporter. The batsman himself was left puzzled and gutted.
Over the years, cricket has seen quite a few bizarre dismissals – some out of the blue and some because of blinding reflexes. And then there are those that occur due to pure laziness. Without doubt these are the funniest dismissals – if it’s not your team which is at the receiving end – one would ever get to see on a cricket field. The victim is not only subjected to much embarrassment but also has to endure laughter – and anger – as he makes his walk back to the pavilion.
Laxman was a touch casual as he lifted his back leg after letting go the ball to the ‘keeper. While much of the discussion in the media and among fans has been around Laxman, not much credit has been given to the alacrity of Carlton Baugh to sense a split-second opportunity and stump the batsman. Laxman had laid the foundation for what looked like another long innings when the dismissal came out of the blue and took everybody by surprise – pleasantly for the West Indies and not-so-pleasantly for the Indian team. It’s possible that Baugh may have noticed the casual, but dangerous, movement within the crease of Laxman and would have been waiting for an opportunity to strike. The scoreboard reads, “VVS Laxman st Baugh b Chanderpaul”, but if liberties could be taken, the scoreboard could well have read: “VVS Laxman st & b Baugh!” That would have put things in perspective. But since such liberties aren’t allowed, Chanderpaul finds a wicket credited to his name to a ball that was allowed harmlessly to sail into the wicket-keeper’s gloves.
Hats off to Baugh! He had to time whipping off the bails to split second perfection. Had he been a little early or a wee bit late, Laxman would have survived.
It is said that a wicket-keeper is doing his job well when he goes unnoticed and isn’t spoken off – much like an umpire. The wicket-keeper, like the umpire, does a difficult and thankless job. Time we appreciate their good work.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya, a 20-year-old law student, is a club and college-level cricketer. His teachers always complain, “He knows the stats and facts of cricket more than the subjects we teach him.”)
