Prince Yadav’s dream debut turns sour as the first ODI wicket is a no-ball

Prince Yadav (Image credit: X) NEW DELHI: Every cricketer dreams of getting a wicket on debut. Prince Yadav’s ODI debut had all the ingredients of a dream start – a wicket, celebrations and teammates rushing to congratulate him. But within seconds, it turned into a moment of heartbreak at Lucknow’s Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium.The young pacer thought he had claimed his first ODI wicket when Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz failed to offer a simple catch to Arshdeep Singh at mid-on. Prince celebrated, his teammates joined in with high fives, and smiles were all around. Then came the dreaded siren.The celebrations came to an abrupt halt when the no-ball alarm rang through the stadium. The goal was overturned after records showed Prince had crossed by the narrowest of margins. The young fast bowler could only manage a disappointed smile as reality sank in.The delivery itself did everything right. The prince gave it a short thump and rushed Gurbaz into an unpleasant move. The Afghanistan batsman had no control over the shot and fired the ball high into the air before Arshdeep completed a comfortable catch.But instead of returning to the pavilion, Gurbaz survived and was awarded a free, leaving Prince to endure one of cricket’s cruelest debut moments.The incident came after India posted a massive 402 all out in the second ODI of the three-match series.After Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bowl, India once again continued to experiment ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Yashasvi Jaiswal has been promoted to the position alongside Rohit Sharma, while skipper Shubman Gill has moved to No.3.Jaiswal’s stay was brief as he managed just four runs, but Rohit looked sublime during his 48-run spell before Rashid Khan produced a trademark knock to clean him up.What followed was a batting masterclass from Gill and Ishan Kishan.Gill battled oppressive heat, cramps and physical discomfort to compile a magnificent 154, his ninth ODI hundred and first as India’s ODI captain. The stylish right-hander mixed elegance with authority, punishing anything loose while anchoring the innings.Kishan provided the perfect foil. The left-hander ended his three-year wait for an ODI century with a blistering knock of 125 off just 79 deliveries. His innings included powerful strokes, fearless stroke play and innovative hitting, including some daring one-handed sixes.Gill and Kishan combined for 224 runs for the third wicket in just 141 balls, taking the game away from Afghanistan completely.Despite Gill’s heroic efforts, India suffered a dramatic collapse in the closing stages. Nangeyalia Kharote led Afghanistan’s fightback with figures of 4/76 while Rashid Khan took three wickets.KL Rahul fell off the first ball while Shreyas Iyer’s promising cameo ended on 26. India ended up losing seven wickets in the last 10 overs but still finished with an impressive 402.Much of the attention quickly shifted to Prince Yadav as Afghanistan began to chase. The debutant was within reach of his maiden ODI wicket but was taken away moments later by a marginal challenge.It was a painful introduction to international cricket, but it also showed that he has the ability to trouble batsmen at the highest level.