VIDEO | Caring Umpire immediately attends Vihari after vicious Cummins bouncer hits him on his head
Despite the bouncer being a legitimate part of a bowler's arsenal, the reality that a cricket ball can kill has made cricketers look inward. Today, when a Pat Cummins bouncer hit Hanuma Vihari on his head, umpire Marais Erasmus became worried before making sure that Vihari was safe to continue.
When the ball spat off the surface to claim the life of Phil Hughes in late 2014, it was feared that the game would be sterile and would never be the same again. But that was hardly the case as the game went on with all its glory, but the underlying fear has never gone away completely.
Australia failed to find the right lengths to bowl on the docile Melbourne pitch, and India's two new openers - Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari - saw off early nerves to put on a confident stand against the new ball. However, there were some jittery moments in the 13th over of the day as Pat Cummins bowled a short one that caught Vihari flat on the helmet.
It all started with Vihari, who failed to read the length of the ball and by the time he realised it, he got himself into a terrible position and turned his head at the last moment. The ball moved towards the square leg region as the duo completed a single, but the danger hadn’t passed yet.
So, when Vihari reached the other end, umpire Marais Erasmus was quick to check on him and asked if he can continue his innings. While someone enquired what was the fuss about, Erasmus immediately gestured back saying the impact might have been serious and he should be attended by the team physio. Patrick Farhat came to the wicket and checked Vihari before announcing that he was ready to resume his innings.
Cricket FootBall Kabaddi
Basketball Hockey
SportsCafe