Smriti Mandhana’s controversial appeal Smriti Mandhana, India’s vice-captain, faced an unexpected dismissal during the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final against Australia in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. Her innings of 24 runs from 24 balls, which included two fours and a six, ended after a controversial DRS decision.The incident occurred on the second ball of the 10th over when Kim Garth delivered the ball down the leg side. The on-field umpire initially called it wide, with neither Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Alyssa Healy nor bowler Garth showing complete confidence in the edge.Healy decided to use DRS with just three seconds left on the inspection timer. Mandhana seemed convinced that there was no contact, which she indicated by moving her head and smiling.During the evaluation process, both Mandhana and her batsman Jemimah Rodrigues were waiting on the field. The UltraEdge took some time to load while Mandhana kept her composure and kept suggesting that she had not touched the ball.“Bat nahi laga,” Mandhana told Rodrigues and the umpire, expressing her disbelief as the UltraEdge showed a clear spike as the ball missed her bat.Click here to watch the full clip of Smriti Mandhana’s releaseThe evidence led to her dismissal, causing visible shock among members of the Indian team. She slowly walked into the pavilion, continuing to shake her head that she disagreed with the decision.This wicket proved crucial for Australia in defending 340 runs. India’s strategy relied heavily on Mandhana’s aggressive start to build momentum for their tough chase in this crucial match, with the winners facing South Africa in the final.The Australian team celebrated this major breakthrough, which they achieved thanks to their last-minute decision to review the initial challenge, which was not eliminated. The dismissal came at a critical time when India were trying to establish a solid foundation for their innings.
