The veteran Mumbai batter Ajikya Rahane survived his career's first-ever field obstruction dismissal during the Ranji Trophy 2024 match against Assam on Friday. Rahane was given out obstructing the field just before the tea break at Mumbai's Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy but the cricketer walked out to bat in the third session.
After bowling out Assam on just 84 runs, the in-form Mumbai side also witnessed a top-order collapse. But a 50-run stand between Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube dragged Mumbai from 60/4 to a challenging total at the end of Day 1's play.
The incident took place in the 25th over when Rahane was batting on 18 and played debutant Dibakar Johri to mid-on for a quick single. But Dube sent back his team captain who needed a full dive reaching back to the crease. Rahane was also hit by Denish Das' throw to which Assam players appealed for obstruction the field dismissal.
The on-field umpire ruled out in his decision and then immediately called for a tea break. But Rahane walked out to bat as Assam players dramatically withdrew their appeal during the tea break. Rahane was not able to hit big as he scored 22 runs off 69 balls before getting bowled out by Johri.
After the day's play, Mumbai pacer Shardul Thakur revealed that the Assam coach visited his team's dressing room to apologise to Rahane and withdrew their appeal. Shardul added that the video showed his captain running in a straight line, within cricket rules. Shardul also revealed that Rahane was reluctant to go back to bat due to his 'ethics' but his teammates convinced him to do it for a team.
"We were playing the video and all we saw was he turned and he was running in a straight line," Thakur said after the day's play. "So at no point he changed his direction. The only direction that was changed was when he took that turn and after that he didn't change his direction looking at the ball and he wasn't trying to obstruct the field. But yes umpires felt that he could be given out since the throw was aimed at the stumps but I think the Assam coach also saw the video and he didn't feel Rahane had done it purposely and obstructed the throw.
"They wanted to withdraw the appeal and since it was tea time, they couldn't convey it immediately but their coach walked up to us and he said, 'we apologise for the appeal because it was in the heat of the moment and we want to withdraw the appeal.' He conveyed the same thing to the umpires also and probably it was mutually agreed that Rahane would go on to bat. But Ajinkya was not keen on going back again because he said once he's given out, it's out. But we convinced him that if it's not out then you can go and bat again and if you do that, it'll be for the team. His ethics didn't allow him to do that but for the team it was needed that he goes back again and bats."
Meanwhile, in-form Shivam Dube recorded his second century of the season by smashing 101* off just 95 balls to help Mumbai post 217/6 on Day 1, stretching the lead to 133 runs.
