BGT: Manjrekar, Pathan argue over Jaiswal’s run out on day 2 at MCG

Plenty happened on day two of the fourth BGT Test between Australia and India at the iconic MCG. While Steve Smith put Australia ahead with his record 34th Test hundred, second in two Tests and 11th against India in this format, what unfolded in the last 20 minutes of play further dent India’s chances of taking a lead in this five-match series.

A horrific mix-up between Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal, leading to the latter’s dismissal on 82, Virat edging one to the keeper off Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc sending nightwatchman Akash Deep back on zero, all happened in the space of four overs, reducing India from 153 for two to 159 for five.

A massive mix-up between Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal sees Jaiswal run out for 82! #AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/a9G4uZwYIk

That passage of play, however, blew Team India’s momentum, which they gained with the 102-run stand between Kohli and Jaiswal earlier.

Kohli-Jaiswal mix up

On the last ball of the 41st over, Jaiswal played one towards the mid-on off Boland and ran immediately. Instead of trusting his partner’s call and going for the single, Kohli, upon looking back, realised Jaiswal had taken a risk by going for it; Kohli held his ground, leaving Jaiswal nowhere to go after he almost reached the non-striker’s end.

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That led to a massive mix-up with Pat Cummins and Alex Carey accounting for Jaiswal's run-out, which later triggered a mini-collapse.

Stunned by Kohli’s decision not to complete the run, the commentators, mainly Sanjay Manjrekar, came down hard on the Indian veteran for his mistake before he got into a heated argument with his fellow broadcaster and ex-India star Irfan Pathan in the Star Sports’ post-match show.

While Manjrekar stuck to his point of Kohli being the culprit in this situation, Pathan jumped onto defending the former India captain, saying Kohli was at risk of getting run out at the striker’s end, leaving Manjrekar furious over the whole argument.

"Ball was going slow, I don't think Kohli would've been run out. It was Jaiswal's call. Maybe a risky run, but he was at the danger end, not Kohli. It was a schoolboy error from Virat that he looked back and decided it wasn't a run. If it was a bad call from Jaiswal, he would've gotten out at the non-striker's end," Manjrekar said on the Star Sports show.

After Pathan defended his point on how Jaiswal was wrong in calling it in the first go, Sanjay said, "If you don't want to let me talk, it's alright".

Manjrekar further lost his cool after Pathan continued to press his opinion, replying, "Irfan Pathan's new interpretation of whether it is a run or not, should be added to the coaching manual."

The former Mumbai batter didn’t stop there, continuing to talk about how the ‘guilt’ of Jaiswal’s run out led to Kohli’s dismissal.

"Kohli's dismissal probably also down to the guilt he had inside his heart over Jaiswal's run-out. He was leaving outside-off deliveries until then but lost his concentration after the run-out incident," he noted.

Meanwhile, in reply to Australia’s 474 in the first innings, India scored 164 for five at stumps on day two, trailing behind by 310 runs.

(With inputs from agencies)