Cricket / India Women's Punam Raut walks despite being given not out, praised for sportsmanship

Cricket Desk: India women's cricket team batter Punam Raut's decision to walk off despite the umpire giving her not out against Australia got the experts and fans talking on Friday. On Day 2 of the India's first-ever day-night pink-ball Test match against Australia in Queensland, Raut stunned everyone by deciding to walk after being adjudged not out. 

In the fourth ball of the 81st over, left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux got one to just grip and turn. Raut got a good stride in but failed to make contact. The Australian players went up in appeal and the umpire shook his head. But everyone's surprise, including the Australian fielders, Raut walked off. 

What made Raut's decision even more interesting is the fact that there is no DRS in this Test match and even after multiple replays it could not confirmed whether she had really nicked it or not. Raut made 36.

Unbelievable scenes 😨

Punam Raut is given not out, but the Indian No.3 walks! #AUSvIND | @CommBank pic.twitter.com/xfAMsfC9s1

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 1, 2021

Australia opener Beth Mooney, who was speaking to the commentators on microphone almost immediately after the incident said she was unsure whether Raut had got a bat to it. 

“No way,” said Mooney when asked whether she would have walked like that. “Don't know. The umpire said not out,” she said. 

 Former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim said it was a strange call. 

“It was very strange to be honest. There is no DRS,” he said on Sony Sports Network. 

“I hope Raut doesn't regret it now,” said former India women's cricketer Nooshin Al Khadeer. 

Meanwhile, Smriti Mandhana shattered a few records en route to slamming a magnificent maiden Test century as India progressed to 231/3 at the dinner break.

The 25-year-old Mandhana became the first Indian woman to hit a century in day-night Tests and also the first from the country to reach three figures in the game's traditional format on the Australian soil. 

Mandhana made 127 off 216 balls with the help of 22 boundaries and a six at the Carrara Oval, and added an Indian record of 102 runs in Australia for the second wicket with Punam Raut (36), continuing the good work after putting on 93 with Shafali Verma on a rain-marred opening day.

She brought her century with a short-arm pull shot off Ellysse Perry in the 52nd over.Mandhana wouldn't have added to her overnight score of 80 in the second over of Day 2 but Perry overstepped. Replays showed that the catch too might have been debatable.

The India opener, however, overcame the early jitters and went about her business in a professional manner while playing some lovely shots, including a magnificent straight drive off Annabel Sutherland.

She looked set for more but was caught at short mid-off off the bowling Ash Gardner, after playing an uppish drive.

Skipper Mithali Raj (15 batting) though got into the job straightaway, sweeping and driving Gardner for fours.