‘Bat nahi laga’: Smriti Mandhana pleads to umpire as shocking DRS outcome sends her back to pavilion

The dramatic moment unfolded in the second ball of the 10th over, bowled by Kim Garth, when Mandhana attempted a fine flick to a delivery that was fired down the leg side. The on-field umpire initially signalled it as a wide, and neither Australia's wicketkeeper and captain Alyssa Healy, nor Garth appeared fully convinced there was an edge. However, Healy opted to review the decision with just three seconds left on the DRS timer.

Mandhana immediately shook her head with a smile, almost giving a clear indication that the ball was nowhere close to her bat.

As both batters — Mandhana and her partner Jemimah Rodrigues — chatted mid-pitch, the UltraEdge took a few moments to load. Mandhana looked relaxed, repeatedly shaking her head as if certain there was no contact. But to her disbelief, a clear spike appeared on the replay as the ball passed the bat, prompting a collective roar from the Australian players.

Mandhana stood in shock, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open, before turning to Rodrigues and saying, “Bat nahi laga,” still refusing to believe the evidence on screen. She said the same thing to the on-field umpire, who also looked momentarily surprised by the UltraEdge result. As the decision flashed “OUT,” Mandhana slowly walked back to the pavilion, shaking her head all the way, her dismissal greeted by stunned silence from the Indian dugout.

The wicket proved to be a massive setback for India, who had banked on Mandhana’s aggressive start to set the tone for their record run chase. Her early dismissal gave Australia the upper hand, as Healy and her teammates celebrated a crucial breakthrough that came courtesy of a last-second review.

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