It’s one of the most skilful and thrilling ways to see wickets by run-outs through direct hits. This signifies how a player’s presence of mind and reflexes work, and that too comes with a lot of fitness and practice. A direct hit requires a player to be active and quick on the field. It also indicates the mental stability of a player.
A direct hit brings a lot of excitement to the team and among the team. It also raises the enthusiasm and morale of the fielding side and the fielding coach. Fielding is one of the most underrated aspects of cricket, but these wickets repeatedly prove why it is given such importance.
Here’s a list of a few such incidents:
1. Ricky Ponting
The first name on the list is none other than Ricky Ponting, who is considered to be one of the most remarkable players and an incredible fielder of all time. His ability to direct-hit run-outs is exceptional. It usually came in high-pressure matches when the team needed it the most. One of the greatest incidents of his direct-hit came in 2005 in a series final against Pakistan where his direct-hit from mid-wicket shifted all the momentum for Australia or his direct-hit to dismiss Inzamam-ul-Haq in 1999 World Cup.
2. Jonty Rhodes
Jonty Rhodes is regarded as one of the most remarkable fielders ever. His direct hits have left a massive hallmark on everyone. His one of the incredible direct-hits came in the Cricket World Cup match against Pakistan in year 1992 where he dismissed Inzamam-ul-Haq. This moment is one of the most celebrated moments of his life. Hitting the stumps directly was one of the habits of Rhodes. His favourite position to the field were backward point and cover regions.
3. Ajit Agarkar
Ajit Agarkar, former Indian fast bowler, born on December 4, 1977, was one of the best bowlers. He always took a fantastic wicket. In the second ODI during Sri Lanka’s tour of India on October 28, 2005, a direct hit from an Indian Bowler shifted the moment of the game towards the Indian team.
4. Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja is known for his tremendous all-rounder skills, especially his exceptional fielding, his direct hits, and catches, etc. His sharp reflexes help the team to shift the momentum of the game and change the pace of the game. In a match against New Zealand in the World CUP 2019, his direct hit to dismiss Ross Taylor is unforgettable, or in 2020-2021 Border-Gavaskar, to dismiss Steven Smith with the throw like a bullet. All these incidents increased his reputation as a player.
5. MS Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni fondly known as “Captain Cool” is one of the most popular cricketers from India, known for his captaincy and batting. Apart from this, he is also celebrated for his fielding, especially direct-hits. He is also famous for his cool demeanour. In a match against Bangladesh, T20 World Cup 2016, his last ball run-out became famous when he dismissed Mustafizur Rahman with a direct shit or the famous 2019 World Cup, to dismiss Martin Guptill with direct hit became talk of the town.
6. Suresh Raina
Another more anticipated name on the list is none other than an exceptional Indian batter and a great fielder, Suresh Raina. His skills have contributed a lot to Indian cricket. He has some of the most memorable run-outs in his career. In a match against Australia in 2013 or his IPL performances for Chennai Super Kings, Raina’s fielding skills have always been the talk of the town.
7. Virat Kohli
A worldwide batting sensation Virat Kohli is known for many things including his exceptional fielding. His reflexes, athleticism, and fitness have summed up in many direct hits run-outs. The key attributes of his directnhits are accuracy, agility, speed, match awareness, etc. Some notable instances are India vs Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup to dismiss Nasir Jamshed or India vs West Indies in the 2019 World Cup. These matches showcased his agility, accuracy, and fitness in the game. Everything he does sets a benchmark for all the youngsters in the games.
8. Glenn Maxwell
Widely regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the shorter format of the game, Glenn Maxwell is one of the best fielders in modern-day cricket. His exceptional direct hits or his ability to hit the stump made the difference in the matches and shifted the moment towards his team. His stunning direct hit to dismiss Dhoni in a World Cup match in 2019 was one of the most memorable moments matches or in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the Super 12 stage dismissed South African captain Aiden Markram, and Australia ended up winning that match.
9. Steve Smith
Steve Smith, popularly known for his dynamic batting, is also an exceptional fielder. His ability to anticipate the ball in the field has made him a strong presence on the ground when the match is going on. His fielding adds immense value to the team. His style compliments his batting and his leadership all over. The key attributes of his fielding are anticipation, agility, and throwing accuracy. In the 2019 World Cup, Smith was fielding at mid-off where, he dismissed New Zealand’s main batter, Kane Williamson, in 2017-18 during the Ashes Series when Ben Stokes was batting very aggressively, Smith dismissed him with direct-hit.
10. Ben Stokes
One of the best all-rounders in the world, whether it is a shorter format or a longer format, Ben Stokes is phenomenal across the format. He has pulled off many incredible run-outs through direct-hits in many crucial stages of important matches. Some of the memorable instances are the run-out of Australian player Adam Zampa in the T20 match series in 2020 or the run-out of Fakhar Zaman in the 2019 World Cup. In the same year, he dismissed Kieron Pollard in a T20 match. Even in test matches, the Ashes 2017-18 he dismissed Travis Head.
