Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has been in the center of the storm after he didn’t walk off after edging the ball in both the innings of the Ranji Trophy’s semi-final clash between Saurashtra and Karnataka, which Saurashtra won easily to qualify for the finals on the back of centuries from Pujara and Sheldon Jackson.
Pujara was batting on just 34 in the fourth innings of the semi-final clash when he edged the ball to the keeper. The umpire failed to see the edge and didn’t give him out. A similar incident had happened in Saurashtra’s first innings as well. Pujara didn’t walk off on both occasions and this didn’t go down too well with the Bengaluru crowd, which turned hostile, and chants of “cheater” started doing the rounds at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Reflecting on the incident, Saurashtra coach Sitanshu Kotak was quoted as saying by MID-DAY, “It is wrong on the crowd’s part. Has Vinay Kumar ever called a batsman back in his career for being given out wrongly? If he has not done so then he has no right to complain.
“I don’t think it makes any sense [to criticize Pujara]. In my career, I would have got 20 to 30 ridiculously bad decisions and never has anyone called me back because the opposition were so happy that Kotak was out. Pujara is a far better player than me. If somebody calls you back when you are not out, then you are allowed to walk against them.
“Honestly, you feel you should walk, but it is unfair to the team because when he is actually not out and still given out, nobody calls you back.