Twitter reacts to chaos in Colombo as Devdutt Padikkal gets run out and LBW off same ball

After a promising debut on Wednesday, Devdutt Padikkal virtually opened today in the third T20I, with skipper Shikhar Dhawan getting dismissed on the fourth ball of the match. But though Dhawan’s dismissal was, on paper, a killer blow for a team that only had five specialist batters in its side, the wicket was being viewed as a ‘blessing in disguise’ by many a fan, who thought the early breakthrough provided Padikkal with a golden chance to shine.

However, the early entry of Padikkal did not go according to the script. Off his first 11 balls, the youngster managed just 6 runs, and pressure started to build after the Lankans decided to choke him with the off-spin of Ramesh Mendis. The pressure kept building and, well, it eventually culminated into something bizarre.

On the final ball of the fourth over, desperate to break the shackles, Padikkal, batting on 9 off 14, attempted a sweep against Mendis across the line. He missed it completely, but still, the youngster was keen to get to the other end. Therefore, putting his head down, the 21-year-old set off for a single. To his dismay, however, the run was non-existent and there was no response from his partner Ruturaj Gaikwad, who did not move an inch. Gaikwad’s wise decision to stay put meant that Padikkal was run out. 

But this is not the bizarre part. Padikkal was also comically out LBW on the same ball. Just as the keeper Minod Bhanuka took off the bails, with Padikkal stranded in the middle of the wicket, umpire Kumar Dharmasena lifted his dreaded finger in slow motion to signal that the batsman was out LBW.

Yesterday, Padikkal became the first Indian batsman born in the 2000s to play for the Men’s side. Today he became the first-ever Indian batsman to be dismissed twice off the same ball. Fascinating start to his career, then.

DUAL OUTS!

A SPECIAL PLAYER? 

POOR PADIKKAL!

WHAT WAS FIRST?

HAHA!

WHAT IS THE FIRST MODE?

A MILE!

LBW-RUNOUT