Kuldeep Yadav
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli lighten the mood as they mentor Kuldeep Yadav through a comical DRS moment during the Vizag ODI. (Credits :"Jiohotstar)

Overview:

Kuldeep finished with an impressive 4 for 41, and Prasidh Krishna chipped in with 4 for 66, as India dismissed South Africa out for 270.

In light-hearted moments from India’s series-deciding third ODI against South Africa at Visakhapatnam, Rohit Sharma found himself back in familiar territory, quietly managing the team’s DRS calls even without the captain’s badge. While KL Rahul was officially leading the side, it was Rohit, with Virat Kohli offering his inputs, who repeatedly kept Kuldeep Yadav from pressing for reviews during the Proteas’ innings.

The drama played out between the 43rd and 45th overs, with Kuldeep Yadav repeatedly eager to go upstairs against Lungi Ngidi. In the 43rd over, he rapped the pads and let out a loud LBW appeal, only to see the umpire shake his head. Kuldeep immediately glanced at KL Rahul, signalling for a review, but Rohit Sharma, stationed in the slips, told him go back. “Kya? Pad pe lagne se hi out hai?” Even as Kuldeep lingered hopefully, Rohit’s firm gestures left no room for doubt.

The light-hearted sequence rolled into the next over as Kuldeep once again went up for an appeal after Ngidi accidentally yorked himself. Rohit and Kohli broke into laughter, while KL Rahul wandered toward the other end, leaving Kuldeep standing there for a moment, unsure of what had just happened.

The laughter spilled into the next over as Kuldeep urged for another review, but it was turned down once again, and later replays showed that Rohit was correct.

Kuldeep’s persistence was rewarded on the next delivery, when Ngidi was trapped in front. India went upstairs, handing the left-arm spinner his fourth scalp of the innings. During the mid-innings chat, Kuldeep confessed that he is not good at DRS and that he prefers to take suggestions from Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul when it comes to taking those decisions.

Kuldeep finished with an impressive 4 for 41, and Prasidh Krishna chipped in with 4 for 66, as India dismissed South Africa out for 270. Quinton de Kock scored a hundred. However, the remaining batters couldn’t get going.

Kuldeep was impressive with the ball, but Rohit also shaped the contest with cheeky humour and firm on-field judgement.

V M Suriya Narayanan is a passionate cricket writer who has been following the game since 2007. With a background in Civil Engineering (B.E.), he blends analytical thinking with a deep understanding of...