‘At least watch where the fielder is’: Abhishek Sharma points out Ishan Kishan’s costly mistake

Things turned tense between Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan after the wicketkeeper batter was run out for a two-ball duck in the first ODI between India and England in Durham on Wednesday night. Kishan's run out was his second such dismissal in as many games, as the newly crowned No. 1 T20I batter in the world registered his third straight low score.

But Kishan had no one but himself to blame for the dismissal. After playing the ball, he took off for a single without even looking at his partner. Despite Abhishek screaming "No!" and refusing the run, Kishan realised his mistake only when he was halfway down the pitch. By the time he turned back and tried to make it to the striker's end, it was too late. Jos Buttler collected the ball and whipped the bails off with Kishan still short of his crease. The third umpire was called into action, and moments later, the big screen flashed red.

As the pair waited for the decision, the stump mic picked up a brief exchange between Kishan and Abhishek that went something like this.

Abhishek: Did you reach the crease or not?

Kishan: I don’t know.

Abhishek: Was it close?

Kishan: Close.

Abhishek: What are you doing, Ishan?

Kishan: It was my call.

Abhishek: But at least watch where the fielder is standing.

The run-out analysed

Irfan Pathan, one of the broadcasters for the series, summed up Abhishek's concern for Kishan and defended the India opener for denying the run. First, there was never a single on offer, and second, had Abhishek set off, he would have been the one to get run out.

"I could sense the concern in Abhishek Sharma's words. He was telling Ishan to do the basics first. I agree that the call is ultimately Ishan Kishan's to make, but at least have a look at where the fielder is positioned and who is cutting off the angle. Let the ball go through before deciding to run,” Pathan said.

“Abhishek's concern was genuine. He wasn't worried about whether Ishan had made his ground. He was worried because Ishan had made a mistake. By then, though, there was nothing that could be done. The outcome was already decided. The conversation between two good friends reflected exactly that, and I actually enjoyed listening to it. Unfortunately, it came in the aftermath of a run-out. There was genuine concern in Abhishek's voice.”

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