Cricket is known for its unpredictability and dramatic moments. Sometimes, however, the game takes an unexpectedly cruel twist. While the twist is much desired for one side, the other team is stupefied. One such thing that happens is batters getting dismissed unluckily. Here is a list of 10 times where a sheer lack of luck led to bizarre and unfortunate exits for some of the world’s best cricketers. These dismissals, which range from deflections of unusual objects to extraordinary events that defy probability laws, are proof that cricket can surprise, and baffle even the most seasoned players.
1. Alastair Cook Vs Australia, 2015
Cook was playing confidently and looked set to make a massive score when an unlikely catch by Adam Voges forced him back into the dugout. Cook smashed a shot off Nathon Lyon and Voges naturally crouched to protect himself from the hit. The camera panned to the outfield, but the ball was nowhere to be found. That is because Voges had taken an absolute stunner. As he crouched, the ball stuck brilliantly between his chest and armpit, much to the delight of the Australians.
2. Kevin Pietersen Vs West Indies, 2007
England was in a dominating position and looked set for a big total. Pietersen seemed to be in good touch and was playing well when a bouncer from Dwyane Bravo suddenly shot up. Pietersen took on it, trying to play a hook shot. However, the ball hit the helmet strap which came off due to the force and landed on the stumps. He had to walk off in what was undoubtedly a bizarre event.
3. Inzamam-ul-Haq Vs England, 2006
Inzamam’s dismissal is one of the funniest of the unlucky dismissals. In an attempt to sweep the ball off Panesar, Inzamam was struck mid-riff. While it is common to see batters getting out hit-wicket by their bats or feet, Inzamam got out trying to avoid the stumps by doing a modified high jump over them but not succeeding and instead dislodging the bails.
4. Andrew Symonds Vs Sri Lanka, 2005
Symonds struck first, hitting the ball off bowler Jehan Mubarak with such force that his partner, Michael Clarke, positioned at the non-striker’s end, was completely caught off guard and could not react in time. To everyone’s surprise, the ball went safely into the waiting hands of Tillakaratne Dilshan at mid-on after ricocheting off Clarke’s ankle.
5. Adam Gilchrist Vs India
Gilchrist was subject to one of the unluckiest dismissals in cricket off the bowling of Anil Kumble. Gilchrist looked to defend a ball from Kumble but was beaten. Parthiv Patel behind the stumps failed to collect the ball, which ricocheted to the stumps. It took a little while for the players to register this and eventually the Indians appealed. The third umpire had a look and concluded that Gilchrist had been stumped out by Patel.
6. AB de Villiers Vs Australia
Shaun Tait was on one of his fiery spells with de Villiers on strike. Tait bowled a short ball which hit de Villiers on the side. He twisted and was about to fall when he realized his bat would hit the stumps. However, it was too late as he could not control his bat from coming down, which eventually hit the stumps. De Villiers writhed in pain, with the damage being done, both to him and his team.
7. Ravi Bopara Vs Australia, 2014
Bopara was well set on the crease and looked sure to win the game for England. However, fate had something else in store. Clint McKay delivered a delivery in the fourth stump channel. Ravi Bopara found himself in a tricky situation as he attempted to guide the ball down to the third-man region. His bat face obstructed Matthew Wade’s view as the ball arrived. Wade, the wicketkeeper, struggled to collect the ball cleanly, and it unexpectedly popped out of his gloves, causing the stumps to be disturbed just as Bopara’s foot hovered momentarily in the air.
8. Henry Nicholls Vs England
Henry Nicholls found himself dismissed in a rather bizarre manner. Nicholls had accumulated 19 runs from a patient 98 deliveries when the incident unfolded. Nicholls went for a hard drive as Leach put down a delivery. But the cricketing gods had something very different in store. After hitting the non-striker Daryl Mitchell’s bat, who was attempting to take it out of the way so the ball could pass, the ball took a soft, looping path and eventually landed safely in Alex Lees’ grasp at mid-off.
9. Dhananjaya de Silva Vs West Indies
De Silva tried to play a short delivery from Shanon Gabriel. But he did something unexpected when the ball returned to the stumps: he unintentionally used his bat to knock the bails off the stumps. De Silva used his bat to keep the ball from striking the stumps, but it hit the top edge instead, increasing the likelihood that the stumps would be disturbed. He hurried and panicked, trying to use his bat to push the ball to the other side, but he hit the leg stump instead.
10. Yuvraj Singh Vs Australia
It was a back-of-a-length ball that struck Yuvraj Singh's pad and took an unexpected bounce over his shoulder. As Yuvraj attempted to get his bat back into the crease, his bat made contact with the ball, resulting in the stumps behind him being dislodged. The entire scene led to a fair amount of confusion on the field. Slip fielders were fervently appealing for an LBW, while the commentators were contemplating whether it was a clean bowled or hit-wicket scenario.
