Smriti Mandhana became the first Indian woman to score a Test century in Australia on Friday. But it was Punam Raut’s walking off the field when the umpire had ruled not out that stood out on the second day of the day-night Test.
India were 276 for five in 101.5 overs at the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast when rain forced the players indoors after the dinner break, meaning more than a session’s play was lost due to inclement weather.
Raut’s decision to walk re-ignited the debate over the ‘spirit of cricket’, triggered by India player Ravichandran Ashwin. Australian opener Beth Mooney said that there was “no chance” she would have done the same when asked by one of the commentators.
Punam Raut ‘walks’ though the umpire declared her not out. Getty Images
The incident happened in the 81st over of India’s innings when Raut, batting on 36, decided to “walk” without any hesitation after believing to have nicked Sophie Molineux behind to ’keeper Alyssa Healy. The delivery spun away as the batter tried to push forward, drawing a half-hearted appeal from Healy and Meg Lanning at first slip, besides the bowler.
As umpire Phillip Gillespie shook his head signalling not out, Raut simply walked off all the way to the pavilion without looking back, rediscovering the long-lost art of walking in Test cricket.
With no Decision Review System in place, Gillespie’s on-field decision would have stood had Raut not walked. If there was an edge, it must have been very faint, with short leg Beth Mooney saying she did not think there was anything on it.
The sporting decision was all the more remarkable considering how few opportunities women cricketers get to play in Tests, with this match being only the fourth in Raut’s 12-year playing career.
“At first our reaction was, ‘oh why did she do that, was there an edge?’ But yeah, it’s (sporting spirit) something we respect a lot. She’s earned a lot of respect for actually walking,” centurion Mandhana said.
“I don’t know how many people will actually do that in cricket at the moment, men’s or women’s, if there’s no DRS. Nowadays people walk off because there’s DRS, but to walk when there is no DRS... I don’t know (how many would)... Definitely, she’s earned a lot of respect from all of us for doing that,” she said.
Raut, who’d recently lost her spot in the ODI set-up owing to criticism over her strike rate and batting approach, was playing her first game of the tour, and isn’t a part of the T20I squad.
Mandhana show
Mandhana had a nervous start when she drove a full toss to point off just the second delivery she faced. Luckily for her, despite a stunning one-handed grab by Beth Mooney, she survived since Ellyse Perry had overstepped.
Let off on the overnight score of 80, the southpaw went on to make 127, putting on a stunning display with some crisp drives and cracking pulls.
Such has been her dedication that she familiarised herself with the pink ball by keeping one in her kit bag for the last three months while looking at it on and off.
Her innings included 22 boundaries and a six. Mandhana went to break England’s Molly Hide’s 72-year-old record upon surpassing 124 to register the new personal best from a visiting female cricketer in Australia.
Mandhana was involved in an Indian record partnership for the second wicket in Australia, putting on 102 with Raut (36), continuing the good work after putting on 93 with Shafali Verma on the opening day.
