Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan walk off the field on the end of the play of third day of the second test cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) Day three in Rawalpindi was filled with drama, but one moment at the very end drew attention for its unusual circumstances. On the final delivery, South Africa had dominated proceedings, and Pakistanâ€s Mohammad Rizwan drove a ball from Keshav Maharaj toward cover. With no run attempted, Rizwan casually turned and, in a smooth motion, tapped the base stump with his bat, dislodging the bails. South Africa wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne immediately appealed for hit wicket, convinced Rizwan had broken his stumps. However, the ball was technically still in play—the fielder collecting the shot had not yet returned it to the keeper, and the umpires had not called stumps. Umpire Sharfuddoula at the bowlerâ€s end quickly dismissed the appeal with a smile, supported by square-leg umpire Chris Brown. Reports indicate the South African players were not directly told why the appeal was rejected. While it is unusual for a batter to remove bails with their bat, the Laws of Cricket support Rizwanâ€s action. Law 35.1 specifies that a batter can only be out hit wicket during the bowlerâ€s delivery stride, while attempting a shot or taking a run immediately afterward, or while making a second or further stroke to guard the wicket. Rizwanâ€s action did not meet any of these conditions. South Africa appeared to take the incident in stride. Allrounder Senuran Muthusamy later admitted he was too far from the play to notice exactly what happened, suggesting the team was not particularly aggrieved. By stumps, Pakistan held a narrow 23-run lead with six wickets remaining, keeping South Africaâ€s hopes of leveling the series alive.
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